Winder Depot
Why it's listed
Built in 1912 at Broad and Porter Streets in Winder, Georgia, this small railroad depot reflects the town's close ties to the railroad. Winder grew from a rest stop called Jug Tavern after the Seaboard Airline Railroad arrived in the 1890s, and it was renamed in 1894 for John H. Winder, a railroad engineer and manager. The depot stood at the junction of the Seaboard and Gainesville-Midland lines and handled passenger, freight and mail service for more than half a century. Its salmon-red brick walls, limestone lintels and sills, palladian-style gable windows, polychrome clay tile roof and bracketed eaves show strong Queen Anne influence, which is unusual for a station of this size. The county-seat status of Winder may explain the special treatment. The City of Winder acquired the building in 1975, restored it, and it now serves as the local chamber of commerce and information bureau.
Significance in brief: The depot is one of the oldest surviving structures in Winder and symbolizes the town's growth from the 1890s, when the first railroad came through. It is also significant as an example of depot-style Queen Anne architecture with unusually fine detailing and materials for a small station.
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 79000696, listed May 8, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Broad and Porter Sts., Winder |
|---|---|
| County | Barrow County |
| Listed | May 8, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000696 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architectural style | Late American Queen Anne-style railroad-station architecture |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Deed transferred from the Seaboard Coast Line Railway to the City of Winder in 1975; the building has been restored and is used as the Winder-Barrow County Chamber of Commerce and information bureau. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 33.99160, -83.72236 (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 79000696.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q125923148
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.