Duluth Missabe and Iron Range Depot (Endion)

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Duluth Missabe and Iron Range Depot (Endion)
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
The Endion Depot near the shore of Lake Superior in Duluth's Canal Park.
The Endion Depot near the shore of Lake Superior in Duluth's Canal Park.
Location: Duluth, Minnesota
Coordinates: 46°47′58.87″N 92°4′36.04″W / 46.7996861, -92.0766778Coordinates: 46°47′58.87″N 92°4′36.04″W / 46.7996861, -92.0766778
Built/Founded: 1899
Architect: Tenbusch & Hill; Hill,I. Vernon
Architectural style(s): Other, Romanesque
Added to NRHP: April 16, 1975
NRHP Reference#: 75002088 [1]
Governing body: Private

The Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Endion Depot is a historic railroad depot in Duluth, Minnesota. The station was formerly located at the corner of South Street and 15th Avenue East, but due to the extension of Interstate 35 along the shore of Lake Superior in 1985, the building was relocated to the Canal Park area.[2]

The Duluth and Iron Range Railroad originally built its line from Duluth to Two Harbors in 1886. Endion was originally a small settlement outside of Duluth, but Duluth later absorbed Endion and other small communities surrounding it. The railroad stop at Endion was its first stop after it left Duluth. The railroad built the depot in 1899 to satisfy the demand for a depot for passenger and freight services in the neighborhood. At its peak, the depot served six incoming and outgoing trains per day. In 1930, the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad merged with the Duluth, Missabe and Northern Railroad, with the name of Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway as the result. With the decline in passenger railroad service, the depot stopped serving passenger traffic in 1961. It continued to serve freight until 1978, when it was closed.[2]

The building is architecturally significant because it was one of the last remaining small passenger depots in Duluth. It features fine brick and stone architectural detailing and craftsmanship. The stone came from the Kettle River quarries near Sandstone, Minnesota. The building is designed with projecting gables that form a transept. Its architect, I. Vernon Hill, went on to have a distinctive impact on the architecture of Duluth in the early 20th century, using the projecting gables as a trademark. The design is a variation on the Richardsonian Romanesque style popular in the 1880s and 1890s, though its small scale is less imposing than larger Richardsonian Romanesque buildings.[2]

The building is now used for an adventure travel company and store specializing in kayaking, climbing, and cross-country skiing.[3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2006-03-15).
  2. ^ a b c Historic American Buildings Survey: Endion Passenger Depot. Retrieved on 2007-03-03.
  3. ^ Midnight Sun Adventure Company - Our Story. Retrieved on 2007-03-03.