Southern Pacific Depot
Why it's listed
A two-story wood-frame railroad depot stands at the corner of Millbrae Avenue and California Drive in Millbrae, California. Completed in 1907, it has a hipped wood-shingle roof, a covered portico on the track side, and living quarters on the upper floor. The ground floor holds a waiting room, an office with a ticket window, and a baggage room. It was built on the site of Millbrae's first depot, completed in 1864 by the San Francisco & San Jose Railroad on land deeded by Darius Ogden Mills. Earlier depots burned in 1890 and 1906. The town's first post office operated from the depot starting in 1866. The nomination argues that the railroad stop was central to the growth of a community that had been a large rancho with few residents. At the time of listing the building was still serving passengers, needed repainting and roof work, and was planned to be moved 200 feet south for road widening.
Significance in brief: The depot is argued to be important to the growth and prosperity of Millbrae, which was a large rancho with few inhabitants before the railroad arrived. It is a typical early-1900s depot with a Colonial Revival look. The site has housed depots since 1864, and the first post office was located in the depot in 1866.
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 78000770, listed September 1, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 21 E. Millbrae Ave., Millbrae |
|---|---|
| County | San Mateo County |
| Listed | September 1, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78000770 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a depot and ticket facility at the time of nomination; in need of repainting and roof repair, and slated to be moved 200 feet south to allow widening of Millbrae Avenue. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.59877, -122.38574 (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 78000770.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q133522110
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.