Kelso Depot, Restaurant and Employees Hotel (Boundary Increase)
No boundary or coordinates published for this district.
The National Park Service has not published a boundary polygon for this district; the map shows the listed properties inside it.
Why it's listed
Kelso Depot is a two-story Mission Revival railroad building in the Mojave Desert, completed in 1923-1924 for the Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad, later part of the Union Pacific system. It combined a station, lunchroom and employees' hotel, with stucco walls, a clay tile roof, a one-story arcade and espadaña parapets. A coal and supply shed and a designed landscape of palms, brick walkways and roads make up the rest of the historic district. The depot supported helper locomotives that pushed trains over Cima Hill and provided services for crews during World War II and the Korean Conflict. Kelso was effectively a company town in a remote area, and the depot sometimes served as a community center. Passenger service and the station agency ended in 1964, though the lunchroom stayed open until 1985. The property was recognized as a rare surviving Mission Revival railroad hotel and restaurant in California, with a landscape that retains its 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). Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Period of significance | 1923-1964 |
|---|---|
| Styles | Late 19th and Early 20th Century Revivals: California Mission Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development, Transportation, Engineering, Industry, Education |
| Acreage | 7 |
| Boundary source | not published |
| Full listing page | Kelso Depot, Restaurant and Employees Hotel (Boundary Increase) (property record) |
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.