Kelso Depot, Restaurant and Employees Hotel
Also known as: Kelso Depot; Kelso Station
Why it's listed
Kelso Depot sits in the desert community of Kelso, within Mojave National Preserve, and combines a train station, lunchroom and hotel for railroad employees. Designed by the Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad's engineering office from 1923 plans, the two-story Mission Revival building has stucco walls, a tile roof, an arcade along three sides and decorative parapets. A coal and supply shed and a designed landscape of palms, brick walkways and roads complete the district. The depot mattered because Kelso was essentially a company town in a remote area, and the building provided lodging, meals and services for crews. Helper locomotives based there moved trains over Cima Hill. The depot handled heavy traffic during World War II and again in the Korean Conflict, then declined as diesel locomotives reduced the need for helpers. Passenger service and the station agency ended in 1964, and the lunchroom closed in 1985. It is among very few surviving Mission Revival railroad hotels in California.
Significance in brief: The depot supported Union Pacific operations by housing, feeding and serving train crews, including helper locomotive crews for the climb over Cima Hill, and it was central to the railroad company town of Kelso. It also served wartime traffic in World War II and the Korean Conflict. It is a rare surviving Mission Revival railroad hotel and restaurant in California, and its landscape keeps the original design intent.
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 01000760, listed August 2, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Kelbaker Rd., jct. of Kelbaker and Cima Rds. at Union Pacific Railroad crossing, Kelso |
|---|---|
| County | San Bernardino County |
| Listed | August 2, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01000760 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1923-1964 |
| Architect / builder | Office of the Chief Engineer, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century Revivals: California Mission Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development, Transportation, Engineering, Industry |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function is listed as vacant/not in use. The depot closed in 1964, and the lunchroom stayed in service until 1985. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 35.01221, -115.65322 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 01000760.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6386536
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.