Fort Street Union Depot

The Fort Street Union Depot was a passenger train station located at the southwest corner of West Fort Street and Third Street in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It served the city from 1893 to 1971, then demolished in 1974.[1] Today, the downtown campus of Wayne County Community College occupies the site.

Fort Street Union Depot
The Fort Street Union Depot in 1909
General information
LocationDetroit, Michigan
United States
Coordinates42°19′38″N 83°03′16″W / 42.3273°N 83.0545°W / 42.3273; -83.0545
Other information
StatusDemolished
History
ClosedApril 30, 1971
Former services
Preceding station Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Following station
Monroe
toward Cincinnati
Toledo Division
before 1946
Terminus
Preceding station Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Following station
Oak Grand RapidsDetroit Terminus
Delray
toward Ludington
LudingtonAthens Plymouth
toward Athens
Preceding station Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad Following station
Terminus Main Line
1930–1932
Delray
toward Ironton
Preceding station Pennsylvania Railroad Following station
Monroe
toward Mansfield
Toledo Division Terminus
Preceding station Wabash Railroad Following station
Delray
toward Chicago
ChicagoBuffalo Windsor
toward Buffalo
Delray
toward St. Louis
St. LouisDetroit Terminus
Map

History

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The union station began construction in 1891 and opened to the public January 21, 1893.[2] It consolidated the operations and services of several rail companies serving Detroit like Baltimore and Ohio, Pere Marquette (later Chesapeake and Ohio), Pennsylvania, and Wabash.[3] It was not utilised by New York Central Railroad and Canadian Pacific Railway, which used Michigan Central Station, and the Grand Trunk Western Railroad, which used Brush Street Station. The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad used the Fort Street facility intermittently. B&O never had its own tracks between Toledo and Detroit. When Pere Marquette (then later C&O which had acquired PM) handled B&O trains north of Toledo, those trains went to Fort Street. When handled by Michigan Central (later New York Central) they went to Michigan Central Station. Upon its opening, the station was located in a transportation district which included the original Michigan Railroad Central Depot two blocks south, and the Detroit and Cleveland Navigation Company nearby on the Detroit River.

The station was extensively renovated in 1946, adding a restaurant, fluorescent lighting, a baggage room, train gates and other updated amenities. Urban renewal in the 1950s saw the construction of Cobo Hall to the south of the station, and the tunneling of the Lodge Freeway beneath the railway tracks. However, due to dwindling ridership, and with the founding of Amtrak,[4] the station closed April 30, 1971, and despite the attempts of preservationists to repurpose the building, was demolished in January 1974.[1][4]

Architecture

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The depot was built in the Romanesque Revival architectural style by architect James Stewart, a follower of Henry Hobson Richardson. "The depot was described by architectural critics as monumental and gutsy, and of being in a solid, aggressive style. W. Hawkins Ferry, in his The Buildings of Detroit, described the station as being of 'robust plastic composition'. Ross and Carlin mention it proudly as 'an ornament to the city' in their Landmarks of Detroit, published before the turn of the century."[1]

Service

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Several named passenger trains departed from the station; many were long-distance flagship trains of their respective railroads. The Pere Marquette had unnamed service to Bay City via Flint and Saginaw.

Operators Named trains Destination Year discontinued
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Ambassador Baltimore 1946[a]
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Capitol-Detroit, successor to connecting service to Shenandoah Washington, D.C.
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Cincinnatian Cincinnati
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Night Express Cincinnati
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Sportsman Newport News, Virginia 1968
Pennsylvania Railroad Red Arrow Washington, D.C., and New York, New York 1959
Pennsylvania Railroad and Wabash Railroad Chicago Arrow Chicago 1949
Pere Marquette Railway, Chesapeake & Ohio Railway after 1947 merger Pere Marquette Grand Rapids, Michigan 1971
Pere Marquette Railway Resort Special Bay View, Michigan 1948
Wabash Railroad St. Louis Limited St. Louis, Missouri 1968
Wabash Railroad Wabash Cannon Ball St. Louis, Missouri 1971

Remnants

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Parts of the structure are housed at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. Several large pieces from the station have been saved in a warehouse in nearby Fort Wayne.[1]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Moved to Michigan Central Station in 1946

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Austin, Dan. "Union Depot". historicdetroit.org. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  2. ^ Austin, Dan (31 January 2015). "The day Detroit's 'other' train station opened its doors". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  3. ^ "Michigan's Railroad History 1825 - 2014" (PDF). Michigan Department of Transportation. 2014-10-13. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  4. ^ a b "Michigan's Railroad History 1825 - 2014" (PDF). Michigan Department of Transportation. 2014-10-13. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
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