Clio Logo

Magnolia Station

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

Now Magnolia City Hall, the former Magnolia Station was built around 1895. While the building has been renovated using new materials, many original restored elements remain including windows, siding, beaded board wall, ticket window casework, and wood flooring. The former freight room, which is now used as the city's Board Room, still features the original scale. The station was built by the Illinois Central Railroad during the city's heyday as a popular resort town. It is one of the oldest train depots still standing in the state.

Images

The depot was built c.1895 and is one of the oldest train stations in the state.

Transport, Automotive parking light, Automotive exterior, Roof

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

In 1893, a fire destroyed much of Magnolia, including the town's first train depot built in 1856. The present depot was built on the same location and, as alluded to above, was a vital to the local economy, especially the resort industry. It served both passengers and freight, and was also an important link to Jackson and New Orleans. The building is long and rectangular, and its layout of the waiting room, ticket office, and warehouse was typical of Mississippi depots at the time. It is unclear how long the depot operated but it was renovated 2011 to become City Hall. It is a contributing property of the Magnolia Resource Area, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

Sources

Gordon, P. Ana. "The Depot." State of Mississippi Historic Sites Survey. May 1982. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/0f3e635e-f282-4c78-a6e2-74ce14e96310.

"Illinois Central Depot (Magnolia Depot)." MDAH Historic Resources Inventory Fact Sheet. Accessed January 19, 2021. https://www.apps.mdah.ms.gov/Public/prop.aspx?id=25182&view=facts&y=860.

"Magnolia Depot Restoration & Rehabilitation." Belinda Stewart Architects. Accessed January 19, 2021. https://belindastewartarchitects.com/portfolio/magnolia-depot-restoration-rehabilitation.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Illinois_Central_Depot,_Magnolia,_Miss._(28184688971).jpg

Additional Information