Palo Alto Southern Pacific Railroad Depot
Why it's listed
Built in 1940 for the Southern Pacific Company, this railroad depot at 95 University Avenue in Palo Alto is a one-story reinforced concrete building in the Streamline Moderne style. Its plaster walls, red brick base stripe, curved corner, porthole and panels of clear glass and glass block suggest speed and machine-age design. A pedestrian tunnel runs under the tracks to a covered entry structure and a small matching waiting shelter on the far side. Inside, the waiting room has chevron-patterned ceiling borders, ceramic tile floors and a 1944 mural by John A. MacQuarrie showing figures from California history. A terra cotta drinking fountain, a lamp post and six original trees remain on the grounds. The depot was recognized for its architecture. It is the only full example of Streamline Moderne in a city whose major buildings of the period mostly followed Mission Revival or Spanish Colonial Revival styles, and it departs from the usual railroad station designs of the region. It remains an active train station.
Significance in brief: The depot is argued to be an excellent, superbly proportioned example of Streamline Moderne architecture, with glass block, curved corners, horizontal striping and portholes. It is the only extant full expression of the style in Palo Alto, where Birge Clark's Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival buildings dominated. It is also an unusual use of the machine-age image for a railroad station on this stretch of the California coast.
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 96000425, listed April 18, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 95 University Ave., Palo Alto |
|---|---|
| County | Santa Clara County |
| Listed | April 18, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96000425 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1940 |
| Architect / builder | Christie, J.H., Chief, S.P. design office |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement/Moderne (Streamline Moderne) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a train station; appearance is essentially unchanged, with minor interior and site alterations and a glass block panel in the entry structure replaced by concrete in the 1950s. |
| Acreage | 1.2 |
| Coordinates | 37.44347, -122.16567 (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 96000425.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7128495
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.