Menlo Park Railroad Station
Why it's listed
Built in 1867 by the San Francisco and San Jose Railroad, this small wooden station at 1100 Merrill Street in Menlo Park opened for business that August. Its original form and roofline survive, and later decoration added in the 1880s and 1890s, including brackets, mouldings, gable ornament and shingled hoods, gives it Stick Style and Shingle Style character. The station is described as among the earliest surviving railway stations in California. The railroad brought rapid change: summer villas and country estates appeared, and Stanford University's opening in 1891 sent students, professors and workers through the depot. It housed the area's first telephone exchange in 1884, handled freight and produce shipments, and during World War I received a large covered shed for military baggage. At the time of nomination the building served as the Chamber of Commerce office, commuters still rode the line, and it was a junction for a new city bus system.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the station is architecturally notable for combining picturesque cottage, Stick Style and Shingle Style elements added from the 1860s to the 1890s. It is also presented as one of the earliest surviving railway stations in California. It is tied to the growth of Menlo Park, its estates, Stanford University, and local transportation and communications.
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 74000556, listed October 1, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1100 Merrill St., Menlo Park |
|---|---|
| County | San Mateo County |
| Listed | October 1, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74000556 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century |
| Architect / builder | San Francisco and San Jose Railroad (builder) |
| Architectural style | Stick Style, with picturesque cottage and Shingle Style elements |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Transportation, Architecture, Communications |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and slightly altered, on its original site. At the time of nomination the Chamber of Commerce used it as offices and a meeting room, and it no longer served as a ticket office. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.45440, -122.18194 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 74000556.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14683322
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.