National Register of Historic Places

Pennslyvania Railroad Station

Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana
Listed
August 13, 1998
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
98001056

About this property

The Pennsylvania Railroad Station, also known as Baker Street Station, is a former passenger rail station in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana. The American Craftsman-style station opened to the public March 23, 1914, at a cost of $550,000. The station saw its most heavy usage during World War II, when about 3,000 visitors passed through the station daily. The station was also frequented by politicians on whistle stop train tours, including U.S. Presidents Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Truman, and Eisenhower. Until 1957 a Grand Rapids originating branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad's Chicago-Florida Southland made a stop in at the station, and picked up passengers from a connecting Wabash Railroad train from Detroit, Michigan. Until 1961 the PRR's Cincinnati, Ohio-Mackinaw City, Michigan Northern Arrow also made a stop there, and picked up connecting passenger rail cars from Chicago. Until 1971 the Penn Central ran the Broadway Limited and several other Chicago-New York City passenger trains, Admiral, Manhattan Limited and Pennsylvania Limited through the station. In the second half of the 20th century, the station served as a stop on Amtrak's Broadway Limited (Chicago—Pittsburgh—New York) and Capitol Limited (Chicago–Pittsburgh–Washington) lines until November 1990 when Amtrak was forced to reroute about 25 miles (40 km) north of Fort Wayne. The nearest active passenger train station is Waterloo (for the Capitol Limited), 32 miles to the north. Today, Baker Street Station's concourse is used as a banquet hall and community events space, while the east and west wings have been converted into office space. Over the last decade, residents and local leaders have begun a movement to bring passenger rail service back to the city and station in the form of Amtrak or other high-speed rail service. Although the station has been without passenger rail service for over 30 years, it has remained a landmark to the city, designated a Fort Wayne Local Historic District in 1990. and later, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998 as the Pennsylvania Railroad Station. National Register of Historic Places listings in Allen County, Indiana Media related to Pennsylvania Railroad Station (Fort Wayne, Indiana) at Wikimedia Commons

Location

221 W. Baker St.
Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana
41.07228, -85.14040

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.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Pennslyvania Railroad Station

This page lists Pennslyvania Railroad Station. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Pennslyvania Railroad Station report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

US Post Office and Courthouse
Industrial
0.1 mi
Embassy Theater and Indiana Hotel
Industrial
0.2 mi
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Industrial
0.3 mi
Saint Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church
Industrial
0.3 mi
Engine House No. 3
Industrial
0.3 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Harmar's Defeat — First Engagement
1790Early Republic
0.2 mi
Battle of Harmar's Defeat — Second Engagement
1790Early Republic
0.2 mi
Harmar's Defeat (Northwest Indian War)
1790Early Republic
0.2 mi
Harmar's Defeat / Battle of the Maumee
1790Early Republic
0.3 mi
Harmar's Defeat — Second Engagement at Kekionga
1790Early Republic
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Pennslyvania Railroad Station listed on the National Register?

Pennslyvania Railroad Station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 13, 1998.

What type of historic resource is Pennslyvania Railroad Station?

Pennslyvania Railroad Station is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Pennslyvania Railroad Station?

The period of significance for Pennslyvania Railroad Station is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Pennslyvania Railroad Station?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Pennslyvania Railroad Station will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Allen County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Allen County.

Explore AllenCounty ›

More historic places in Indiana

Browse all historic places in Indiana.

View Indianahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Indiana history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Indianahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Pennslyvania Railroad Station will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report