National Register of Historic Places

Michigan Central Railroad Dowagiac Depot

Dowagiac, Cass County, Michigan
Listed
December 2, 1993
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
93001349

About this property

Dowagiac is a train station in Dowagiac, Michigan, served by Amtrak, the United States' railroad passenger system. The station was built by the Michigan Central Railroad in 1902, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. It is served by Amtrak's Blue Water and Wolverine trains and was formerly a stop for the International Limited. The Limited commenced service from Chicago to Toronto in 1982, and was discontinued in 2004. It was a joint operation by Via Rail and Amtrak. The Michigan Central Railroad built a set of tracks providing passenger service through Dowagiac in 1848. A new depot was constructed in the 1870s. The current station, replacing the 1870s station, is the third constructed by the Michigan Railroad in Dowagiac. The architect for the station is not documented, but is almost certainly the firm of Spier and Rohns. The railway hired contractor M. J. Rogers of Detroit to supervise construction. The building was completed in 1903, and has remained in use as a passenger station since that time. A restoration project took place in 1995. The depot is a single-story brick Tudor Revival structure trimmed with limestone. The depot consists of two hip roof buildings, one for passengers and one for baggage, connected with a gable roof canopy supported by metal columns. The passenger station has a square two-story tower projecting from the street side and a projecting octagonal ticket office on the track side. The station is accessed through a port cochere and glassed-in entry porch. Hip roof dormers are placed on the roof, and rows of square head windows line the sides of both the passenger station and baggage depot. Media related to Dowagiac station at Wikimedia Commons Dowagiac, MI – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak) Dowagiac Amtrak Station (USA Rail Guide -- Train Web) Dowagiac Michigan Central Depot (Michigan's Internet Railroad History Museum)

Location

200 Depot Dr.
Dowagiac, Cass County, Michigan
41.98080, -86.10907

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
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

Criffield-Whiteley House
Industrial
0.4 mi
First Methodist Episcopal Church of Pokagon
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5.8 mi
Thompson Road-Air Line Railroad Bridge
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7.5 mi
Newton, George, House
Industrial
7.6 mi
South Berrien Center Union Church and Cemetery
Civil War
9.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Michigan Central Railroad Dowagiac Depot listed on the National Register?

Michigan Central Railroad Dowagiac Depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 2, 1993.

What type of historic resource is Michigan Central Railroad Dowagiac Depot?

Michigan Central Railroad Dowagiac Depot is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Michigan Central Railroad Dowagiac Depot?

The period of significance for Michigan Central Railroad Dowagiac Depot is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Michigan Central Railroad Dowagiac Depot?

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