Northern Pacific Railway Depot and Freighthouse
About this property
Staples station is an Amtrak intercity train station in Staples, Minnesota, United States, served by Amtrak's daily Empire Builder service. It was built in December 1909 by the Northern Pacific Railway. The architects of the station were Charles A. Reed and Allen H. Stem, who also designed the Northern Pacific's King Street Station in Seattle, Washington, and the New York Central Railroad's Grand Central Terminal in New York City. In the mid-2000s the city began negotiations with BNSF with the intent to purchase and rehabilitate the depot, which was largely empty and not well maintained. The sale was finalized in February 2008 and the depot is now owned and managed by the Staples Historical Society (SHS). Since then the SHS has undertaken a handful of important improvement projects, such as installing a new roof and repairing historic windows. The group is also searching for funding to undertake a full-scale rehabilitation of the interior and mechanical systems. Ultimately the SHS hopes to restore the second floor so that it can house the Staples Historical Society Museum. The local chamber of commerce currently occupies the ticket office adjacent to the waiting room. The station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 13, 2008. The station is one of three in Minnesota and 78 across the Amtrak network listed in a 2021 settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice over inaccessible facilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Under the ADA Stations Program (ADASP), Amtrak plans to update the station with new platforms, walkways, railings, signage and other improvements by the company's fiscal year 2026. In 2023, $4 million was included in the Minnesota state budget to study a daytime train service between the Twin Cities and Fargo, North Dakota, a service that would include stops at Staples station.
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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.
Everything a full report reveals about Northern Pacific Railway Depot and Freighthouse
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Questions about this property
When was Northern Pacific Railway Depot and Freighthouse listed on the National Register?
Northern Pacific Railway Depot and Freighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 3, 2008.
What type of historic resource is Northern Pacific Railway Depot and Freighthouse?
Northern Pacific Railway Depot and Freighthouse is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Northern Pacific Railway Depot and Freighthouse?
The period of significance for Northern Pacific Railway Depot and Freighthouse is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Northern Pacific Railway Depot and Freighthouse?
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 Northern Pacific Railway Depot and Freighthouse will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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