NCO Railway Depot
Also known as: The Whistle Stop
Why it's listed
Built in 1908 of locally quarried stone, this small railway depot in Alturas served the Nevada-California-Oregon Railway when the narrow gauge line reached the town as its northern terminus. Martin and Diamond, contractors from Reno, were the builders. The 1-1/2-story building has a shingled bellcast roof, a slanted operator's bay facing the tracks, and gable ends filled with bands of patterned shingles. In 1915 the station was taken apart, its stones numbered, and rebuilt eight blocks closer to downtown, keeping its orientation to the tracks. It operated as the passenger depot until service ended on January 1, 1938, then housed railroad crews before being vacated. The Alturas Garden Club acquired it in 1962 and uses it as a clubhouse, with rentals for meetings, weddings and receptions. Its stone construction and late Queen Anne styling are unusual for California railroad architecture, and its historic character remains strong. Freight trains still use the adjacent tracks.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an excellent and unusual example of late Queen Anne styling in stone for a small California railroad station, a style more common in smaller eastern U.S. stations. It also served as the Alturas depot of the NCO Railway, the principal means of public travel for the remote northeastern corner of the state from 1908 to 1938.
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 85000357, listed February 28, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | East and 3rd Sts., Alturas |
|---|---|
| County | Modoc County |
| Listed | February 28, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85000357 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- (specific dates 1908, 1915) |
| Architect / builder | Martin and Diamond, Contractors |
| Architectural style | Late Queen Anne |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in good condition; used as the clubhouse for the Alturas Garden Club and for community gatherings. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 41.48660, -120.53979 (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 85000357.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q29641915
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.