Wabash Railroad Station and Railway Express Agency
Why it's listed
Built in 1901 and designed by St. Louis architect Theodore Link, this Classical Revival railroad station in Decatur, Illinois, is made of yellow brick with terra cotta trim and a stone foundation. A one-story Railway Express Agency, built the same year, adjoins it by a breezeway. The station replaced an earlier Union Station and served as the Wabash Railroad's division headquarters, with a large force of dispatchers working on the second floor. It was the only Decatur station to house division offices. Passenger service peaked in 1907, and the building later hosted wartime canteens and visits by Theodore Roosevelt, Eugene Debs and Dwight Eisenhower. Passenger trains declined from the 1920s, and Amtrak left in the early 1980s. The building was later vacant and vandalized, though most of its exterior and some original interior marble and ticket counter survive. It is the last historic railroad station remaining in Decatur, and its significance rests on its role in the city's rail transportation.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the property is locally significant under Criterion A for its role in transportation. It served as a division headquarters, dispatchers' offices, and passenger depot for the Wabash Railroad and later the Norfolk and Western from 1901 until the early 1980s. It is also described as the last remaining historic railroad station in Decatur.
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 94000029, listed February 4, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 780 E. Cerro Gordo St., Decatur |
|---|---|
| County | Macon County |
| Listed | February 4, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94000029 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1901-1943 |
| Architect / builder | Link, Theodore, architect; Menke, Edward H., builder |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as vacant and not in use; Amtrak abandoned the station in the early 1980s, vandals broke many second-floor windows, and the owners were planning rehabilitation. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.84741, -88.94655 (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.
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.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 94000029.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19878530
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.