Perris Depot
Also known as: Santa Fe Depot
Why it's listed
Perris Depot is a red brick railroad station on Fourth Street in downtown Perris, California, completed in 1892. Architect Benjamin Franklin Levet Sr., who designed many Santa Fe depots in the state, drew up the plans, and local builder J. W. Nance carried out the construction. Its Queen Anne character shows in a shingled, conical-roofed tower, arched entrances, round windows and machine-cut gingerbread trim. Most small-town stations followed standard frame plans, so this brick building stood out as unusually elaborate. The depot became the commercial and social center of the community, handling freight, mail and passengers through successive booms in irrigated farming, alfalfa and potatoes. Passenger service ended in 1947 and the freight agency closed in 1969, when the building passed to the Orange Empire Railway Museum. The structure remains essentially as built, with only minor, reversible changes. Its listing recognizes its architecture, its role in regional transportation and its place in the settlement of Perris Valley.
Significance in brief: The depot is a largely unaltered example of Queen Anne architecture, unusually elaborate for a small-town station. It served as the social and commercial center of Perris and a transportation hub for the valley's farming booms. Significance is argued at the local level under architecture, transportation and exploration/settlement.
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 94000819, listed August 5, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 120 W. Fourth St., Perris |
|---|---|
| County | Riverside County |
| Listed | August 5, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94000819 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1892-1944 |
| Architect / builder | Levet Sr., Benjamin Franklin |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Now used as a museum; the depot was given to the Orange Empire Railway Museum in 1969, and the freight house has housed local historical exhibits since 1974. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.77359, -117.22972 (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 94000819.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7169655
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.