San Pedro, Los Angeles, & Salt Lake RR Depot
Also known as: Union Pacific R.R. Depot
Why it's listed
This two-story railroad depot at 3751 Vine Street in Riverside was built in 1904 by the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad. It is a wood-framed Mission Style building with dashed stucco over metal lath, a red clay tile roof, four towers with pyramidal tile caps, and curved parapet walls over the gable ends. Unlike many Mission Style buildings of its era, it omits applied decorative plaster relief, making it a plain, simplified version of the style. The only major exterior change was the 1943 enclosure of the open north waiting porch. The depot is valued chiefly for its design, which served as a model for other stations on the line to Nevada and for depots in Ontario and Pomona. It also illustrates the story of the Salt Lake line, its rivalry with Southern Pacific, and the route that gave Los Angeles its fourth transcontinental railroad. Union Pacific took over the route in 1921.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues its main significance is architectural, as an early, excellent and typical example of plain Mission Style that served as a model for other stations on the Salt Lake line and nearby depots. It also reflects local and western railroading history, including competition among railroads and the line that gave Los Angeles its fourth transcontinental connection.
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 77000326, listed April 18, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 3751 Vine St., Riverside |
|---|---|
| County | Riverside County |
| Listed | April 18, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77000326 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | S.P.L.A. & S.L.R.R. |
| Architectural style | Mission Style |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as unoccupied and not in use; the north waiting porch was enclosed in 1943. The owner offered the building as a gift to the city, and it might have to be moved if the land was not acquired. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 33.97925, -117.36733 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 77000326.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q104215471
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.