Glendale Southern Pacific Railroad Depot
Also known as: Southern Pacific Station-- Glendale
Why it's listed
Glendale's Southern Pacific depot is a one-story station of reinforced concrete with textured stucco meant to suggest adobe, opened on March 27, 1924. Its asymmetrical plan runs along the tracks and includes a baggage room, station office, central waiting room and an outdoor waiting room with cedar log supports. A cast stone portal with spiraled columns, a bell opening and finials marks the waiting room, and wrought iron grilles and balconets appear throughout. Architect Kenneth MacDonald Jr. and engineer Maurice Couchot, formerly of San Francisco, designed it in the Spanish Colonial Revival style then popular for California stations. It was built as Glendale grew rapidly in the 1920s and served as the city's only railroad station, bringing travelers and new residents. Alterations in 1943 and around 1953 and a 1979 restoration did not damage its integrity. The city bought the property in 1989 to ensure its preservation, and the depot continues to operate.
Significance in brief: The depot is argued to be significant under Criterion A as the only railroad station in Glendale, a centerpiece of the transportation network that supported the city's rapid growth in the 1920s. Under Criterion C, it is an elegant example of the Spanish-style station design used across California. It remains substantially intact to its period of significance.
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 97000376, listed May 2, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Gardena Ave., jct. with W. Cerritos Ave., Glendale |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | May 2, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97000376 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1924-1947 |
| Architect / builder | MacDonald, Kenneth, Jr.; Couchot, Maurice |
| Architectural style | Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Operating continuously since 1924 in reasonably good condition, with some exterior deterioration and cracking from the 1994 Northridge earthquake; a restoration was planned. Owned by the City of Glendale since 1989. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Coordinates | 34.12361, -118.25884 (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 97000376.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q501640
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.