{"nrhp_refnum":"79002978","name":"Missouri-Kansas-Texas Company Railroad Station","other_names":["Katy Depot"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Covington St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Hillsboro","county":"Hill County","state":"TX","lat":32.01283734300006,"lon":-97.13150967399997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-12-19","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Transportation","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A railroad depot in Hillsboro, Hill County, Texas, built in 1902 for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (Katy) Railroad and moved in 1979 to a lot on Covington Street north of Courthouse Square.","why_significant":"The depot is presented as a representative example of early twentieth-century railroad station architecture and as a reminder of the economic change the Katy line brought to an agricultural community. The railroad opened Hillsboro to exporting cotton and livestock and supported commercial and residential growth. Local citizens funded the move to keep the building in town, and the form argues the relocation does not diminish its significance.","narrative":"Built in 1902 for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, known as the Katy, this wood-frame depot served Hillsboro in Hill County, Texas, after the original 1881 station was converted to freight use. The long, low building has a hipped roof, projecting gables, bracket-supported eaves, and decorative cut-out trim and shingles in east Texas pine and cypress. Inside, it provided two segregated waiting rooms, a central ticket office and a baggage room. The Katy was the first railroad to reach Hillsboro, and it turned the town into an export point for cotton and livestock while drawing new residents and businesses. The depot received notable travelers, including several presidents, and was the departure point for soldiers in both world wars. Facing a possible move to Fort Worth, local residents raised money for the city to buy it, and in 1979 it was relocated to Covington Street near the tracks and courthouse. It was unoccupied then, with restoration planned.","period_of_significance":"1900-","architect_builder":"Unknown","architectural_style":"Described as reminiscent of the Prairie style, with Victorian influences in the gable trim; the significance section also mentions the shingle style.","criteria":[],"status_note":"Unoccupied and vacant at the time of nomination; relocated in 1979, with city plans for restoration and future use as Chamber of Commerce offices, tourist information and arts display space.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:19.692149-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/99/9725/40972599/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/79002978.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79002978/a7ae6e504f-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79002978/a7ae6e504f-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Renelibrary","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MTK_Company_Station_(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:MTK_Company_Station_(1_of_1).jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40972599","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110002253"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/hill-county/missouri-kansas-texas-company-railroad-station-79002978/"}