Folsom Depot
Why it's listed
Folsom Depot is a railroad station at 200 Wool Street in Folsom, California, beside the Southern Pacific tracks. Built by 1906 from Southern Pacific Combination Plan #22, it is a gabled wood frame building, part one story and part two, clad in shiplap siding and shingles. The upstairs once housed the station master, while the rear held baggage and freight areas. Construction continued in stages to 1924, and fires in 1924 and 1930 were followed by rebuilding close to the original plan. The Southern Pacific donated the depot, 1.1 acres and three railroad cars to the city in 1970. Its significance rests on its intact standardized design and on its location at the eastern end of the Sacramento Valley Railroad, completed to Folsom in 1856 under Theodore Judah. The circular brick turntable foundation survives below ground, and the depot still sits where the original track layout placed it. It now serves as a museum and meeting hall.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the depot is an early, intact example of small town railroad architecture and of standardized corporate design. It also marks the eastern terminus of the Sacramento Valley Railroad, the oldest railroad in California, laid out by Theodore Judah, and still retains the turntable site and the original depot-to-track layout.
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 82002229, listed February 19, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 200 Wool St., Folsom |
|---|---|
| County | Sacramento County |
| Listed | February 19, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82002229 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1906 |
| Architectural style | Small town railroad architecture of the early 20th century, built from Southern Pacific Combination Plan #22 |
| Areas of significance | Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and used as a museum and meeting hall; owned by the City of Folsom since 1970 and fenced in 1975. Altered over time by fires in 1924 and 1930 and by later changes. |
| Acreage | 0.7 |
| Coordinates | 38.67907, -121.18067 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
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 82002229.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q104235419
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.