{"nrhp_refnum":"100003401","name":"Kelso Depot, Restaurant and Employees Hotel (Boundary Increase)","other_names":[],"category":"district","location":{"address":"Kelso-Cima Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Kelso","county":"San Bernardino County","state":"CA","lat":null,"lon":null,"geom_source":null},"listed_date":"2019-01-31","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Community Planning and Development","Transportation","Engineering","Industry","Education"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A railroad depot, restaurant and employees' hotel complex at Kelso in the Mojave National Preserve, San Bernardino County, California, built in 1923-1924 to plans by the Office of the Chief Engineer of the Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad. The district includes the depot, a coal and supply shed and a designed landscape.","why_significant":"The nomination argues significance under Criterion A because the depot's lodging, food and bathing facilities supported helper locomotive operations over Cima Hill and wartime rail traffic, and because Kelso functioned as a railroad company town. Under Criterion C, it is a rare surviving Mission Revival railroad hotel and restaurant, with a designed landscape that still reflects the original Union Pacific intent.","narrative":"Kelso Depot is a two-story Mission Revival railroad building in the Mojave Desert, completed in 1923-1924 for the Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad, later part of the Union Pacific system. It combined a station, lunchroom and employees' hotel, with stucco walls, a clay tile roof, a one-story arcade and espadaña parapets. A coal and supply shed and a designed landscape of palms, brick walkways and roads make up the rest of the historic district. The depot supported helper locomotives that pushed trains over Cima Hill and provided services for crews during World War II and the Korean Conflict. Kelso was effectively a company town in a remote area, and the depot sometimes served as a community center. Passenger service and the station agency ended in 1964, though the lunchroom stayed open until 1985. The property was recognized as a rare surviving Mission Revival railroad hotel and restaurant in California, with a landscape that retains its original design intent.","period_of_significance":"1923-1964","architect_builder":"Office of the Chief Engineer, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad","architectural_style":"Late 19th and Early 20th Century Revivals: California Mission Revival","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Current function is listed as vacant/not in use; the lunchroom operated until 1985 and the station agency and passenger service ended in 1964.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:29.721094-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/01000760.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":null,"wikipedia":null,"wikidata":null},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/san-bernardino-county/kelso-depot-restaurant-and-employees-hotel-boundary-increase-100003401/"}