Laws Narrow Gauge Railroad Historic District
Also known as: Bishop Station; Laws Station
Why it's listed
Laws Station, near Bishop in Owens Valley, California, is a collection of railroad buildings, structures and equipment from a narrow gauge line. Station use ran from 1883, when the two-story wooden depot was built, until service ended in 1960 for lack of business. Resources on the 4.05-acre site include the depot, outhouses, an agent's house, a water tower and pump house, oil tank facilities, a turntable, track, a locomotive and cars. The depot is unaltered and on its original site, built with large Jeffrey pine timbers milled at Mammoth Lakes. It has a roof overhang left narrower on the track side to leave room should the line be converted to standard gauge, which never happened. The site is listed as a district because these linked railroad resources remain together. The railroad terminal supported the development of Owens Valley through timbering, mining and farming. Today the county operates the property as a museum with original furnishings and telegraph equipment.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the group of railroad buildings, structures and equipment forms a district of linked railroad resources united by past events. The depot served as a railroad terminal that contributed to timbering, mining and farming in Owens Valley. The complex is largely original, on its original site, and still holds period equipment and furnishings.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 81000149, listed October 1, 1981. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NE of Bishop, Bishop |
|---|---|
| County | Inyo County |
| Listed | October 1, 1981 |
| Reference number | 81000149 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Typical railroad depot style of the 1870s onward, with original architects unknown; the outhouses are described as rural. |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Operated as a railroad museum on county-owned land. The depot is in fairly good condition but needs major repairs to its platform, roof and foundation. Railroad service ended in 1960 and the museum began in 1964. |
| Acreage | 4.1 |
| Coordinates | 37.40160, -118.34818 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 81000149.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q141632585
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.