National Register of Historic Places

Danville Southern Railway Passenger Depot

Danville (Independent City), Danville County, Virginia
Listed
July 20, 1995
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
95000895

About this property

Danville station is an Amtrak train station in Danville, Virginia, served by the daily Crescent. The 1899-built station building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Danville Southern Railway Passenger Depot. The station was built in 1899 from plans drawn by the noted Southern Railway architect Frank Pierce Milburn. In 1915, a track expansion required that the track be moved 133 feet to the northeast. The station was jacked up on rollers, and crews used mules and stump pullers to roll the building. The move was done so skillfully that not a single brick was cracked. In 1922, the building was almost destroyed by fire that broke out during a raging snowstorm, which prevented firefighting teams from reaching it. Southern Railway rebuilt the building to its original specifications, except for the spire that once topped the station. With the decline of passenger use of railroads, the building fell into disuse. For years it was closed and Amtrak passengers had to walk through a tunnel and wait for trains on an open platform between the tracks. In 1993 the station was closed to passenger service temporarily and bought by the City of Danville. In 1995, the station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The same year, a group of local civic leaders sought federal ISTEA funding and local contributions to renovate the station. In addition to serving Amtrak passengers, part of the station is now used as a campus of the Danville Science Center. This is the first satellite facility of the Science Museum of Virginia, coincidentally also a former train station. The station is also used for the Danville Farmer's Market. Media related to Danville station at Wikimedia Commons Danville, VA – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)

Location

701 Craghead St.
Danville (Independent City), Danville County, Virginia
36.58379, -79.38368

Categories

TRANSPORTATIONARCHITECTURE
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 Danville Southern Railway Passenger Depot

This page lists Danville Southern Railway Passenger Depot. 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 Danville Southern Railway Passenger Depot report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Danville Tobacco Warehouse and Residential District
Listed
0.2 mi
Danville National Cemetery
Listed
0.3 mi
Danville Tobacco Warehouse and Residential Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Listed
0.5 mi
Danville Municipal Building
Industrial
0.5 mi
Downtown Danville Historic District
Listed
0.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Danville Southern Railway Passenger Depot listed on the National Register?

Danville Southern Railway Passenger Depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 20, 1995.

What type of historic resource is Danville Southern Railway Passenger Depot?

Danville Southern Railway Passenger Depot is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Danville Southern Railway Passenger Depot?

The period of significance for Danville Southern Railway Passenger Depot is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Danville Southern Railway Passenger Depot?

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 Danville Southern Railway Passenger Depot will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Danville County

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

Explore DanvilleCounty ›

More historic places in Virginia

Browse all historic places in Virginia.

View Virginiahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Virginia history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Virginiahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Danville Southern Railway Passenger Depot will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report