Santa Fe Passenger and Freight Depot
Also known as: Santa Fe Depot
Why it's listed
Built in 1917 by Santa Fe employees, this two-story wood-frame railroad depot in Shafter, California, followed the railway's Standard Combination Frame Depot No. 2A plan, first drawn in 1911 and modified in 1913. The design served freight, passenger and express traffic. Shafter was then a young farming colony, and the depot encouraged growth as the town expanded around it. The railroad later altered the building, enclosing the porch in 1938 and expanding the ticket office in 1927. After the railroad abandoned it in 1978, the Shafter Historical Society took it over in 1979 and raised funds to move it three blocks to a new foundation in March 1980. Restoration to its 1917 appearance, including replacement of porch columns and loading docks, was under way, and it was to house a museum and offices. The nomination presents it as the central developmental building in Shafter and as a rare survivor among early twentieth-century depots.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an excellent example of the Santa Fe 'Standard Combination Frame Depot' No. 2A, built for freight, passenger and express service. It was the central developmental building of Shafter, where the town grew up around it after its construction. It is also one of the few such depots to survive the railroad's removal of outmoded buildings.
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 82002187, listed January 19, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 150 Central Valley Hwy., Shafter |
|---|---|
| County | Kern County |
| Listed | January 19, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82002187 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Santa Fe Railroad |
| Architectural style | Standard Combination Frame Depot Number 2A |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Moved in March 1980 to a new site and being restored to its 1917 appearance for use as a museum and offices; condition listed as good, altered, and moved. |
| Acreage | 0.8 |
| Coordinates | 35.50504, -119.27719 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 82002187.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14683914
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.