Burlington Northern Depot
About this property
The Lewis County Historical Society and Museum is located in Chehalis, Washington. The museum is situated in the city's Burlington Northern Depot, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1974. The repository is located within the Chehalis Downtown Historic District and borders the Pennsylvania Avenue-West Side Historic District, both NRHP-listed locations. The train station was constructed by the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1912 and opened with a dedication ceremony in January 1913. The depot became most commonly known as the Burlington Northern Depot and renamed as the Lewis County Historical Museum in 1975. In February 1973, Burlington Northern closed the depot and ordered the historic Chehalis station to be demolished. Ongoing efforts and protests saved the structure, allowing the site to be used a local museum. The depot was leased to Lewis County in late-1975 for $1 per year. The building was renovated by the Lewis County Historical Society and several volunteers, officially opening as a county historical museum in September 1979. The museum is under the oversight of the Lewis County Historical Society, which incorporated in 1965. The Lewis County Historical Museum has remained in operation since the 1970s despite funding difficulties and an embezzlement of the society's endowment fund in the late 2000s. The 4,600-square-foot (430 m2) space hosts permanent displays, most notably exhibits on pioneer life and indigenous culture and people, as well as special presentations tied to the county's past. Over 50,000 artifacts, which include audio recordings, interactive items, newspapers, photographs, and physical objects of historical importance, are stored within the museum or under its management. The original passenger waiting room houses the main exhibit space and the museum is known for a large-scale, working model train display of Lewis County. The site is a standard location for celebrations, events, and festivals pertaining to Chehalis and Lewis County.
Location
Categories
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 Burlington Northern Depot
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Questions about this property
When was Burlington Northern Depot listed on the National Register?
Burlington Northern Depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 6, 1974.
What type of historic resource is Burlington Northern Depot?
Burlington Northern Depot is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Burlington Northern Depot?
The period of significance for Burlington Northern Depot is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Burlington Northern 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 Burlington Northern Depot will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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