Illinois Central Railroad Yard-Cherokee
National Register of Historic Places

Illinois Central Railroad Yard-Cherokee

Cherokee, Cherokee County, Iowa
Listed
September 5, 1990
Type
District
Period
Early Republic
Ref No.
90001308

About this property

The Illinois Central Railroad Yard, also known as Cherokee Illinois Central Station, is a nationally recognized historic district located in Cherokee, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. Cherokee was a hub for the Illinois Central Railroad's (IC) branch lines, and the railroad's westernmost division headquarters in the state. The district was a collection of structures that were associated with the IC's second and third building phases, 1860 to 1870 and 1886 to 1888, and the expansion of the roundhouse in 1915. It represented the last of the pre-Diesel era railroad yards left in Iowa. At the time of its nomination it contained 17 resources, which included seven contributing buildings, one contributing structure and nine non-contributing buildings. Ten of the buildings were of frame construction and seven were brick. Most of the buildings no longer exist, having been replaced by an agricultural cooperative. The former depot and American Express building remain. The former depot is a 2+1⁄2-story brick structure on a limestone foundation, and capped with a hipped roof. It was designed by the architects of the Illinois Central Railroad. The interior featured two waiting rooms on the first floor, one for the men and one for women. Office's for the IC's division headquarters occupied the second floor. The exterior of the building was altered in the 1940s. The canopy over the old platform is a reconstruction of the original. The American Express building is a single-story brick structure built on a concrete and limestone foundation. It too was capped with a hipped roof. This building was altered in 1922. Both buildings are located next to each other along South Fourth Street.

Location

Cherokee, Cherokee County, Iowa
42.74666, -95.55585

Categories

ARCHITECTURETRANSPORTATION
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

Lewis Hotel
Industrial
0.3 mi
Cherokee Public Library
Industrial
0.3 mi
Cherokee Commercial Historic District (Additional Documentation)
Modern
0.4 mi
Boughton, Lemuel C. and Mary (Vaughn), House
Industrial
0.4 mi
Gillette, Guy M. and Rose (Freeman), House
Industrial
0.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Illinois Central Railroad Yard-Cherokee listed on the National Register?

Illinois Central Railroad Yard-Cherokee was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 5, 1990.

What type of historic resource is Illinois Central Railroad Yard-Cherokee?

Illinois Central Railroad Yard-Cherokee is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Illinois Central Railroad Yard-Cherokee?

The period of significance for Illinois Central Railroad Yard-Cherokee is recorded as the early_republic era, specifically around 1860.

Can I research the history near Illinois Central Railroad Yard-Cherokee?

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