Tehachapi Railroad Depot
Why it's listed
This small wooden depot at the corner of Tehachapi Boulevard and Green Street was built by the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1904, replacing an earlier structure lost to fire. It measures about 25 by 111 feet and has shiplap siding and a gable roof. The passenger half sits at ground level, while the freight half is raised about 44 inches to match freight car floors. An observation window let the stationmaster watch the tracks. It is one of the few surviving examples of Southern Pacific's standard plan No. 23 and one of the oldest, with a plainer look than later versions. The nomination links the depot to the growth of Tehachapi, whose residents resettled near the railroad in the 1870s. The line carried local produce and later cement, and the depot was among the busiest rural stations in the country during World War II. Regular passenger service ended in 1971, and the building now serves railroad warehouse and office uses.
Significance in brief: The depot is significant under Criterion A for its role in transporting freight and passengers for the Tehachapi area, a community founded because of the railroad. It is one of the oldest survivors of Southern Pacific's standard plan No. 23 depots and sits at the center of the historic Tehachapi Pass rail line.
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 99001263, listed October 20, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 101 W. Tehachapi Blvd., Tehachapi |
|---|---|
| County | Kern County |
| Listed | October 20, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99001263 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1904-1949 |
| Architect / builder | Southern Pacific Railroad |
| Architectural style | Bungalow/Craftsman |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use by the Union Pacific Railroad as a warehouse and office; described as in poor condition but basically intact. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 35.13280, -118.45258 (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 99001263.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14684086
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.