Alma Depot
Why it's listed
Alma Depot is a one-story frame railroad station built in 1906 beside the former tracks in downtown Alma, Georgia. It has flush novelty siding, broad overhanging eaves, a hipped east end and a gabled west end. Inside, two waiting rooms with beaded-board paneling sit at the east end, an office with a bay window facing the tracks occupies the middle, and a large warehouse room fills the west end. It was apparently the only permanent depot the railroads built in Alma and served as the center of freight and passenger activity, especially for the turpentine and lumber industries. At its peak it saw as many as six passenger trains a day; passenger service ended in 1952. In 1930 a local credit union, later the Alma Exchange Bank and Trust, was founded there, an unusual use for a depot. The building was recognized for its architecture, its role in commerce and its place in the town's railroad history.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the depot is significant in architecture, commerce and transportation. It is a functionally designed small-town depot with a warehouse, office and waiting rooms. A local credit union that grew into the Alma Exchange Bank and Trust was founded there in 1930. It was apparently the only permanent depot built in Alma and served the local turpentine and lumber industries.
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 83000182, listed April 7, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Dixon and 11th Sts., Alma |
|---|---|
| County | Bacon County |
| Listed | April 7, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000182 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Functional small-town railroad depot; no formal style named |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as unoccupied and used for storage by the owner at the time of nomination; civic reuse plans had not yet been made. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 31.54300, -82.46929 (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 83000182.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16202786
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.