' F o r m 10-300
lsTATEiWest Virginia
S T A T E S DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
UNI-D
[ J u l y 1969)
N A T I O N A L PARK SERVICE
Cabell
NATIONAL REGlSTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM
F O R NPS USE ONLY
DATE
ENTRY NUMBER
(Type all entries
11.
- complete applicable sections)
-
II
I
NAME
-
I c nuunu
,...-.-...
I
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Depot
i
i
. .
S T R E E T ANC NUMBER:
(Check One)
0
District
bd
Burlding
0 Structure
Site
IJ
Private
Both
Object
a
0 Occupied
public Acquisition:
Public
a
I n Process
"noccupid
0Preservatoon work IJ
B e i n g Considered
Yes:
Restricted
Unrestricted
i n progress
I
PRESENT
I
U S E (Check o n e o r More a s Appropriate)
Agricultural
IJ
Government
Park
0Commyciol
0 Education01
C]
Industrial
P r i v a t e Residence
Other (Specify)
Religious
XT--LYULLC:
0 Military
0 Museum
Entertainment
C
0 Transportation
-
-
0Comments
--
I
Scientific
*
C I T Y O R TOWN:
ts.
STATE'
_ _ ._ _ _ __ -Huntington
OF LEOALDESCRIPTION
_
LOCATION
COURTHOUSE. REGISTRY O F 3 E E D S
&
54
West Virginia
-.
09
r-
CODE
_-
P,
n
0
ETC
=
P,
Cabell County Courthouse
S T R E E T AND NUMBER:
'-I
Fourth Avenue
STATE
C l T Y O R TOWN:
i 0 3 E
Huntington
West Virginia
Junior League of Huntington
OATE
OF SURVEY:
DEPOSITORY
9/30/69
0 Federol
State
County
a
Local
F O R SURVEY RECORDS:
x
S T R E E T AND NUMBER:
1500 Fifth Avenue
C l T Y O R TOWN:
Huntington
STATE.
j
West Virginia
54
q
-
i
f
-
i
I
A
/
I
O E S C R ~ P T I O-N
-.--.
.-
A
(Check One)
0 Excellent
CONDITION
(7 Altered
>ESCRIBE T H E PRESENT
[I1 Fair
Good
Deterlorated
C] R u ~ n s
ANO ORIGINAL
Q Unaltered
u Unexposed
(Check One)
(Check One)
Moved
Original Site
( i f known) P H Y S I C A L
APPEARANCE
The B a l t i m o r e and Ohio R a i l r o a d Depot l i e s between Second Avenue on t h e
It c o v e r s t h e e n t i r e a r e a between Eleventi
n o r t h and 2% A l l e y on t h e s o u t h .
and T w e l f t h S t r e e t s . The Second Avenue s i d e i s 440 f e e t long w h i l e t h e
s i d e s a r e 240 f e e t . There a r e two b u i l d i n g s on t h i s p l o t . A t t h e c o r n e r o:
Second Avenue and Eleventh S t r e e t i s t h e former passenger s t a t i o n . ~ e t w e e n
Second Avenue and t h e s t a t i o n a r e two s e t s of r a i l r o a d t r a c k s . These have
been abandoned a s has been t h e p a s s e n g e r s t a t i o n . The a r e a between t h e
s t a t i o n and t h e t r a c k s i s paved w i t h b r i c k and h a s become overgrown w i t h
weeds. The b u i l d i n g i t s e l f i s c o n s t r u c t e d of b r i c k and has a s l a t e roof
w i t h two chimneys. The main p a s s e n g e r s e c t i o n i s of two s t o r i e s w h i l e t h e
I n the front
baggage s e c t i o n t o t h e e a s t i s o f s i n g l e s t o r y c o n s t r u c t i o n .
of t h e b u i l d i n g on t h e Second Avenue s i d e , t h e major s e c t i o n i s d i v i d e d by
a bay which r i s e s from t h e basement t o t h e r o o f . There a r e t h r e e windows i~
t h i s bay w i t h t h r e e windows on e a c h o f t h e f l a t s i d e s which extend from i t .
On b o t h s i d e s of t h e bay, between t h e f i r s t and second f l o o r s t h e r e i s a t i 1
covered r o o f which extends outward a s h o r t d i s t a n c e . On t h e west end o f thc
b u i l d i n g t h e r e i s a s i n g l e f l o o r wooden frame a d d i t i o n . The a d d i t i o n cover!
t h e e n t i r e west end. It was c o n s t r u c t e d a s a Greyhound Bus Depot i n 1945
and abandoned i n 1952. T h i s s t r u c t u r e h a s a s b e s t o s s i d i n g and wooden t r i m .
The e a s t end of t h e b u i l d i n g i s a b l a n k w a l l . The r e a r of t h i s b u i l d i n g i s
q u i t e c u t up. Again t h e r e i s a p r o j e c t i o n i n t h e middle o f t h e b u i l d i n g bui
t h i s p r o j e c t i o n i s s q u a r e w i t h o n l y a door and window on t h e f i r s t f l o o r anc
b u t a s i n g l e window on t h e second f l o o r . Both of t h e s e f a c e t o t h e r e a r
w i t h no opening on e i t h e r s i d e . The s q u a r e a r e a does n o t exceed t h e eaves
o f t h e second f l o o r . On b o t h s i d e s of t h i s b i s e c t i n g a r e a a r e two s i n g l e
s t o r y arms. Both have two windows f a c i n g t h e ba'ck and. each h a s one on t h e
end. The e a s t p o r t i o n ends w i t h t h e main passenger s t r u c t u r e l e a v i n g room
f o r a r e a r e x i t t o t h e baggage a r e a . T h i s baggage a r e a has a l a r g e r e a r
d o o r w i t h windows on each s i d e . A l l o f t h e windows on t h e f i r s t f l o o r , a s
w e l l a s t h e . d o o r s ,'-':fiave 'been.boarde'd .'up;" THe' Vi-riddws on t h e second f l o o r
a r e exposed and many of them have been broken. There i s a basement b u t no
I t s c o n d i t i o n i s de'rer501tk't'&tl'-and i n need of r e p a i r
a t t i c i n t h k bui'D3ing.
S t r u c t u r a l l y i t i s sound.
D i r e c t l y t o t h e r e a r of t h e p a s s e n g e r s t a t i o n i s t h e former f r e i g h t h o u s e
I t i s a l i g n e d w i t h t h e west s i d e o f t h e passenger b u i l d i n g a l o n g t h e 2%
A l l e y . I t began a s a two s t o r y b u i l d i n g which now has two rooms on each
f l o o r . I n 1897 i t was extended 98 f e e t , extended an a d d i t i o n a l 7 5 f e e t i n
1911, and t h e f i n a l 200 f e e t were added i n 1916. The i n t e r i o r f l o o r w i t h
t h e e x c e p t i o n of t h e o r i g i n a l two s t o r y s e c t i o n and t h e f i n a l 200-foot s e c t i o n i s made up of wood b l o c k s ; t h e r e s t i s c o n c r e t e .
-
The e n t i r e b u i l d i n g i s of b r i c k w i t h a s l a t e r o o f . The r o o f overhangs
t h e Loading dock which e x t e n d s from t h e f r o n t o f t h e b u i l d i n g which i n t u r n
f a c e s t h e r e a r of t h e p a s s e n g e r s t a t i o n . Along b o t h t h e n o r t h and s o u t h
s i d e s and d i r e c t l y o p p o s i t e e a c h o t h e r a r e c h a i n d r i v e n overhead s t e e l
d o o r s . I n a l l , t h e r e a r e t w e n t y - t h r e e s t a l l s i n t h e f r e i g h t h o u s e a l o n g wit1
t h r e e heavy d u t y s c a l e s . The e a s t end o f t h e b u i l d i n g comprises a l a r g e
door on t h e f i r s t f l o o r and two windows, f o r l i g h t , above. From t h i s e a s t
end o f t h e b u i l d i n g s t r e t c h e s a l o a d i n g p l a t f o r m w i t h a d r i v e up ( o r down)
ramp. Again t h e c o n d i t i o n o f t h e b u i l d i n g i s d e t e r i o r a t e d b u t s t r u c t u r a l l y
,
-
PERIOD
(Check One or More is Approprlafe)
0
Pre-Columbian l
JT
16th Century
15th Century
a
17th Century
S P E c l Fl C O A T E ( S )
19th
Century
( C h e c k O n e or h b r e a s A p p r o ~ r i a t d
0
Abor iginol
Prehistoric
Historic
Agriculture
Architecture
0 Art
a
0 20th Century
18th Century
(If A p p l i c a b l e e n d Known)
A R E A S OF SIGNIFICANCE
a
a
a
0
8
Cornmarc0
Education
0 Engineering
0 Industry
0 invention
0 Landscape
Architecture
-
0 Comrnunicotions
Conservation
. .
Political
0 Religion/Phi.
Urban Plonning
(SpeciryJ
lorophY
-
-
0 Scibnce
Sc;lpture
0 Soc~al/Human-
Literature
0 Military
0 Music
a
0 Other
itartan
-
Theater
Transportor~on
5TATEMENT O F SIGNIFICANCE
Huntington began after the CJ&
War, born of the necessity of obtaining
a western terminus for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. Between October
of 1870 and July of 1871, Colis P. Huntington purchased most of the-land
west of the Guyandotte River. He then formed the Central Land Co. and hire1
Huntington began as a
a Boston architect to lay out his city.
railroad town and remains such to this day.
nF .P
rn the empire building days of 1896 progressive Huntingtonians built a
north and south railroad.between Guyandotte and Kenova, the Huntington and
Big Sandy Railroad. A f& years later this operation was taken over by the
Ohio River Bailroad which by September 1_9-01 was incorporated into the Balti
more and Ohio Railroad system, the oldest railroad system in the United
States operating under its original charter. The location of the B & 0
depot was superior to that of the C & 0 for it rested squarely in the cente
of the business dist~ict,and hence came to play an important part as the
focal point of Huntington.
represents the railroad
The passenger station was completed in =Land
architecture of that ,pqriod.;-A$ .with other buildings ,in,the Huntington arec
the w h t building shows the growth of the city. The first section being
completed in UB!2 ,with,a 98-foot extension added in i1897‘ By 1911, 75 more
feet were added with the final 200 feet being completed in 1916.
This section, bordered to the north by Second Avenue, to the south by 2%
411ey, to the west by Eleventh Street and to the east by Twelfth Street was
earlier a beehive of activity. Almost all of the automobiles which came to
the Huntington area were unloaded here. The twenty-three bays of the
freighthouse were active each day. The passenger terminal had a lunchroom
sith many trains arriving and &parting each day. Students attending
Qrshall University arrived and departed, businessmen arrived and departed,
some came to transfer to the C & 0 and others arrived from the C & 0 for
more distant places. Activity was the byword of the station twenty-four
hours a day. So much so that the Greyhound Bus Lines sought out the location and in 1945 built a frame addition to the west end of the building to
house its Huntington depot. This addition still stands although it was
discontinued as the bus terminal in 1952.
The depot was so prominent that Teddy Roosevelt, Warren G. Harding and
Dwight D. Eisenhower saw fit to address the public from the rear of their
campaign trains prior to their election. It was truly the heart of ,the citj
-
.
-
*
m 10-.XOa
~ u l 1969)
y
.
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
-
INVENTORY NOMlNATlON FORM
(Continuation Sheet)
STATE
West Virginia
COUNTY
Cabell
FOR NPS USE ONLY
ENTRY NUMBER
I
D A T E
'Number all entriam)
7. DESCRIPTION (continued)
sound
.
Other than the buildings, the plot is blacktopped for parking an& movement
There are two sets of tracks which are located in the middle of the plot and
this area is now overgrown with weeds.
8. SIGNIFICANCE (continued)
Today it stands vacant. The freight terminal is used for short term storage, the yard as a parking lot and the passenger station with its lower floor
windows boarded up--vacant. The entire area awaits the bulldozer unleashed
by Urban Renewal, Yet it is one of a vanishing breed of old-fashioned depots
especially one in a dyed-in-the-wool railroad town. The site has a definite
degree of architectural merit as well as aesthetic, sentimental and historica
merit. It is looked upon as the last hope of retaining the historical remembrances of Huntington. If it can be saved then perhaps other historical
buildings, doomed to the wrecking ball of progress, could be moved to this
site and the history and significance of railroads in Huntington would be
preserved.
1. Huntington Advertiser 9-22-70. Railfans Want to -Move
9
Restore
B & 0 Station.
Old
2. Railroads Service the Greater Huntington Area: B &.0,C
& W 1965.
& 0,
N
Published by Huntington Chamber of Commerce.
3. The Herald Advertiser. Sunday, a magazine for the tri-state. The g &
Terminal by Robert Withers. Sunday, May 3, 1970.
(continued)
cTl-SE
0
0
SW
ACREAGE O F NOMINATED
PPROXIMATE
IST A L L S T A T E S A N D C O U N T I E S F O R
f acre
PROPERTY:
PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING
I
TATE:
CODE
I
CODE
TATE:
I
I
COUNTY:
CODE
COUNTY:
CODE
I
CODE
TATE:
CODE
I
CODE
TATE:
STATE O R COUNTY BOUNDARIES
COUNTY
I
I
CODE
COUNTY:
I
---
I
-
F O R M P R E P A R E D BY
- .
A M E AND TITLE:
Edward R. Bleau, Field Research kgent for the
DATE
RGANl ZATION
West Virginia Antiquities Commission
rREET
AND
- --- -
--
October 1,197;
NUMBER:
Old Mountainlair, West Virginia University
TATE
I T Y OR TOWN:
Morgantown
West Virginia
-
-
NATIONAL REGtSTER VERIFICATION
STATE L I A I S O N OFFtCER C E R T I F l C A I ION
As the designated State Liaison Officer for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 ( P u b l i c Law
89-665), I hereby nominate t h i s property for inclusion
I hereby certify that this property is included i n the
,
National Register.
i n the National Register and certify that i t h a s b e e n
evaluated according to the criteria and procedures s e t
forth by the National Park Service.
T h e recommended
l e v e l of significance of this nomination is:
Chief, Office of Archeology a n d Historic preservation
Date
ATTEST:
----
T
-itl-
Date
State Historic.Preservation
Officer
May 3Q, 1973
Keeper of The National R e g i s t e r
Late
GPO
90 1
.O87
Form 1 0 - ~ 0 0
I
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT O F THE INTERIOR
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
( h l y 1969)
STATE
NATIONAL REGISTER O F HISTORIC PLACES
INVENTORY
- NOMINATION FORM
West Virginia
Cabell
1
FOR NPS USE ONLY
-
-
EN T R Y N U M B E R
(Continuation Sheet)
1
DATE
I
I
Number at1 entr1a.J
Bibliography (continued)
.
Herald Advertiser, Sunday, November 6, 1966, pg. 2, Sunday Magazine.
The B & 0 Station, Future Museum? by Robert C. Withers, Marshall
Student Journalist.
----
5. Herald Advertiser Centennial Edition, Sunday, July 11, 1971. The
- -B -& 0:
As Down to Earth
-----
as
a Friendly Engineer, by
Robert Withers.
6. Herald Advertiser, Sunday: A Magazine for the Tri-State. Ghosts From the
Past, August 17, 1969, by Robert Withers.
-
7. Herald Advertiser, Sunday, March 14, 1971 (Sunday Magazine), page 8.
Yesterday, by Robert Withers.
9.
Herald Advertiser, Sunday, October 26, 1969 (Sunday Magazine), pg. 8.
Yesterday by Robert Withers.
9. Herald Advertiser, Sunday, December 5, 1968, pg. 4. Yesterday by C. T.
Mitchell. "B & 0 Employees on an Outing, 1916"
3.
Herald Advertiser, September 26, 1970. --After 80 Years, Railroad Freight
Station to Stand Vacant. Staff photo by Jack Burnett.
All the above on file at Cabell-Wayne Historical Society, 425-11th Street,
Huntington, West Virginia, or Box 123, Huntington, West Virginia.