Union Station
Why it's listed
Union Station in Joliet, Illinois, is a railroad depot completed in 1912 at a cost of $2,000,000, together with a track elevation project. It replaced separate passenger stations run by four trunk-line railroads, and passenger traffic peaked at 101 trains a day. Architect Jarvis Hunt designed it as an oblong hexagon with wings, fitting a site where two main lines cross at an acute angle. The steel-frame building is faced in Bedford limestone and has three great arches, a carriage court and a high arched waiting room. Inside are Tennessee marble floors and stairs, bronze fixtures and a 57-foot Belgian marble slab in the ticket lobby. Alterations include a 1962 dropped ceiling, a ticket lobby closed with cement block in 1975 and removal of the train sheds. The station was listed as a reminder of Joliet's role as a railroad center and as an example of Hunt's transportation architecture and large-scale interior design.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the station is significant for transportation, as the consolidated passenger depot of a major railroad center, and for architecture, as the work of Jarvis Hunt. Its hexagonal plan fits a site where two main lines cross at an acute angle, which the form calls unique in the Midwest. It is also described as a visible reminder of Joliet's former importance as a railroad center.
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 78001200, listed August 1, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 50 E. Jefferson St., Joliet |
|---|---|
| County | Will County |
| Listed | August 1, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78001200 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Architect: Jarvis Hunt; Builder: Cook Engineering & Const. |
| Architectural style | Broad, simplified classical forms (described in the text; no formal style name given) |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The structure is sound and the station survives virtually intact, but the street-level portion is unoccupied and water-damaged. The station still serves commuter and Amtrak trains, and the platforms need repair. |
| Acreage | 4.6 |
| Coordinates | 41.52440, -88.07983 (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 78001200.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6270003
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.