Susanville Railroad Depot
Why it's listed
Built in 1927 at 461 Richmond Road in Susanville, this stucco-clad railroad depot sits on a concrete foundation and measures about 72.5 by 28 feet. It was added to an earlier 1913 station, which burned in 1989. The interior held a waiting room, ticket office and express office, and many original features survive, including coved ceilings, wainscoting and pine cabinetry. The depot served the Southern Pacific's Fernley and Lassen Branch, which carried freight from 1913 to 1956 and passengers until 1933. Nearby lumber and box mills relied on the line, and the depot reflects the railroad's part in the area's growth. Southern Pacific closed its agency in 1979, and the building later sat vacant and was nearly burned in a firefighting exercise in 1987. Local citizens saved it, and restoration finished in 1994. It now serves as a museum, visitor center and trailhead for the Bizz Johnson National Recreation Trail, and it remains on its original site.
Significance in brief: The depot is significant under Criterion A in the area of transportation as one of the few remaining reminders of the railroad's role in the economic and social development of Susanville and Lassen County. It was built in response to growing lumber and box shipping from nearby mills. It retains a high degree of integrity in location, setting, design, materials and workmanship.
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 01000332, listed April 5, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 461 Richmond Rd., Susanville |
|---|---|
| County | Lassen County |
| Listed | April 5, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01000332 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1927-1950 |
| Architectural style | No Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored 1993-1994 and now in use as a visitor center, museum, community venue and headquarters of the Lassen Land and Trails Trust; described as in good condition. |
| Acreage | 1.4 |
| Coordinates | 40.41146, -120.65978 (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 01000332.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q97162746
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.