Union Station

Designed by architect Jarvis Hunt, Dallas' Union Station was built in 1916 during the heyday of steam-powered trains. At its height 80 trains would stop here each day. Before it was constructed Dallas had five stations which eventually became inefficient. To remedy this the city decided it was necessary to consolidate them into one transportation hub. An interesting feature of the station are murals painted by Phillip Lamb depicting events of Dallas history. They are actually partial recreations of original ones painted by Jerry Bywaters and Alexander Hogue in 1934 in the now demolished city hall building. Today the building serves as the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) center, as it connects bus, light rail, commuter rail and interstate rail into one efficient system.

Interestingly, the station was a library for one year in 1954 as a new central library was constructed to replace the old 1901 Carnegie Library. Private passenger rail service continued until May 1969. A few years later in 1974 Amtrak service began. DART services began in June 1996.

Historical Marker Information. Texas Historic Sites Atlas. Accessed December 9, 2013. https://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/Details/5113006908.

"Union Station." DART. Accessed December 9, 2013. https://www.dart.org/riding/stations/unionstation.asp.