National Register of Historic Places

Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Passenger Depot-Pella

Pella, Marion County, Iowa
Listed
July 21, 1991
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
91000909

About this property

Pella station, also known as the Rolscreen Museum, is a historic building located in Pella, Iowa, United States. The Des Moines Valley Railroad built the first tracks through the area in 1865, and they built a simple frame depot to serve passengers' needs. For 10 years, Pella served as the only rail stop in Marion County until a competing station was built in Knoxville, Iowa by the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad. The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad leased the Des Moines Valley's tracks beginning in 1878 and provided freight service through 1980. The old frame building was replaced, in 1906, with a single story, brick depot–a conventional building style for the railroad. The new, brick depot served as a passenger station until the latter 1940s. The last passenger service was as a stop on a short line motor train service between Eldon in southeast Iowa and Des Moines. The station was freight only by 1949. In 1975 the future of the depot was thrown into question when the Rock Island Line filed for bankruptcy protection. However, the Pella Corporation, whose headquarters are adjacent, acquired the property and converted the depot into a company museum. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.

Location

Pella, Marion County, Iowa
41.39826, -92.91527

Categories

TRANSPORTATION
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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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
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The Community
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Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
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Nearby Historic Sites

Porter-Rhynsburger House
Industrial
0.4 mi
Van Spanckeren, B. H. and J. H. H., Row Houses
Industrial
0.4 mi
Pella High School
Industrial
0.5 mi
Van Maren, Henry and Johanna, House-Diamond Filling Station
Industrial
0.5 mi
Peoples Nationals Bank
Industrial
0.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Passenger Depot-Pella listed on the National Register?

Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Passenger Depot-Pella was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 21, 1991.

What type of historic resource is Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Passenger Depot-Pella?

Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Passenger Depot-Pella is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Passenger Depot-Pella?

The period of significance for Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Passenger Depot-Pella is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Passenger Depot-Pella?

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