National Register of Historic Places

NCO Railway Depot

Alturas, Modoc County, California
Listed
February 28, 1985
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
85000357

About this property

The Nevada—California—Oregon Railway Co. Depot, commonly known as the N.C.O. Depot or The Whistle Stop, is a historic site in Alturas, California, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built 1908 to serve as the passenger station for Alturas on the Nevada–California–Oregon Railway. It has been home to the Alturas Garden Club since at least 1962. In 1880, the Nevada and Oregon Railroad was founded; it was sold in 1884 and renamed the Nevada–California–Oregon Railway (N.C.O.). N.C.O. began regular rail service for Alturas on December 1, 1908. The N.C.O. depot was initially located at the intersection of Twelfth and Oak Streets, near the railyard, but was disassembled and moved, stone by stone, to its current location in 1915 to be closer to the central business district of Alturas. In 1926, the Southern Pacific Transportation Company purchased the N.C.O., converting the line to standard gauge starting in 1927. Passenger service to Alturas was discontinued on January 1, 1938, and the depot was converted for use as railroad crew housing. The Alturas Garden Club acquired the depot in 1962. The depot was constructed from stone blocks from a local quarry and is placed with its longest side parallel to the railroad tracks. The eastern facade, which overlooks the tracks, has a centrally located operator's bay, with the former baggage room to the north and the former waiting room to the south. It is largely unmodified from its days as a passenger depot, and is built in the late Queen Anne style, with an appearance more in common with contemporary stations in the eastern United States than other stations in California. National Register of Historic Places listings in Modoc County, California Price, Marjorie (November 28, 1983). "NRHP Nomination: N.C.O. Depot". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. Media related to Alturas, California at Wikimedia Commons "Depot Site Chosen". Sacramento Union. September 24, 1907. Retrieved April 29, 2017. "Will Move Depots On Narrow Gauge". Sacramento Union. August 19, 1914. Retrieved April 29, 2017. "State's Last Frontier to Welcome First Train". Healdsburg Enterprise. October 20, 1927. Retrieved April 29, 2017.

Location

Alturas, Modoc County, California
41.48660, -120.53979

Categories

TRANSPORTATIONARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Industrial
0.2 mi
Nevada-California-Oregon Railway Co. General Office Building
Industrial
0.3 mi
Jess Valley Schoolhouse
Industrial
19.2 mi
Adin Supply Company
Industrial
29 mi

Nearby Battles

Infernal Caverns Fight 1867
1867Indian Wars
12 mi

Questions about this property

When was NCO Railway Depot listed on the National Register?

NCO Railway Depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 28, 1985.

What type of historic resource is NCO Railway Depot?

NCO Railway Depot is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for NCO Railway Depot?

The period of significance for NCO Railway Depot is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near NCO Railway Depot?

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