{"nrhp_refnum":"01000873","name":"St. Louis Southwestern Railway (Cotton Belt) Passenger Depot","other_names":["Cotton Belt Depot","Union Depot"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"100 blk. E. Oakwood St., at N. Spring St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Tyler","county":"Smith County","state":"TX","lat":32.354444468000054,"lon":-95.29802503299999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2001-08-08","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Community Planning and Development","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-story red brick railroad depot built in 1905 at the 100 block of East Oakwood Street at North Spring Street in Tyler, Smith County, Texas, with an adjoining brick-paved parking area and brick sidewalk as contributing structures.","why_significant":"It is Tyler's oldest surviving rail-related building and the only one reflecting daily rail operations for passengers, express and freight customers. It is an example of a standard railroad depot plan adapted with Prairie, Mission Revival and Craftsman elements. It also reflects the railroad's role in Tyler's economic and community development.","narrative":"Built in 1905 on a narrow strip between the tracks and East Oakwood Street in Tyler, this Cotton Belt depot is a one-story red brick building with a hipped red tile roof, wide eaves and wood knee braces. It was built from standard plans and divided into passenger and baggage sections joined by a covered breezeway. The exterior mixes Prairie, Mission Revival and Craftsman features, while the interior has arched doorways, oak trim and a terrazzo floor. Inside, separate waiting rooms once reflected racial segregation laws. Few changes were made over time, mainly a freight door added around 1953 and fire damage in the 1980s. The city has owned it since 1988 and has restored it, with Tyler Transit offices proposed. It is the oldest surviving rail-related building in Tyler and the last survivor of the former Levee railroad district. It is significant for its architecture and for the railroad's part in the city's growth between 1905 and 1950.","period_of_significance":"1905-1950","architect_builder":"St. Louis Southwestern Railway of Texas","architectural_style":"Mixed styles: Prairie, Craftsman, Mission Revival, Renaissance Revival","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Owned by the City of Tyler since 1988 and undergoing a nearly completed restoration; proposed use is administrative offices for Tyler Transit. The baggage area interior and dormer remain unrestored.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:24.172719-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/69/9699/40969969/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/01000873.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/01000873/c350fc45e6-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/01000873/c350fc45e6-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Renelibrary","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cotton_Belt_Depot_(1_of_1).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Renelibrary</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cotton_Belt_Depot_(1_of_1).jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40969969","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_Belt_Depot_Museum","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5175658"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/smith-county/st-louis-southwestern-railway-cotton-belt-passenger-depot-01000873/"}