Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad Station
Also known as: Jefferson Depot
Why it's listed
Jefferson Depot is a small wood-frame railroad station at 147 East Jefferson Street in Jefferson, Ohio. Built in 1872, it served the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad on a branch line planned in 1863 and completed through Jefferson in August 1872. The building has board-and-batten walls, a gable roof with wide eaves on long curved brackets, and rooms for the station agent, passengers and baggage. Passenger service was heavy: 14,635 passengers departed in 1879, and fifteen passenger trains stopped daily in 1902. Many county residents came by train to the county seat to pay taxes, and one of the town's first sidewalks led from the depot to the courthouse. The railroad became part of the New York Central system in 1914, and the station operated until 1961. Restoration between 1978 and 1981 repaired original materials and brought back period fixtures and furnishings. The depot is valued for its local role and as an intact example of its type.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the depot as a typical small railroad station of the 1870s with important local associations for Jefferson residents. Its integrity and restored character convey a period of intensive growth and change in the railroad industry. A reviewer added that it is also significant for architecture as an intact example of its type.
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 82001357, listed October 14, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 147 E. Jefferson St., Jefferson |
|---|---|
| County | Ashtabula County |
| Listed | October 14, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001357 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1872 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored in 1978-1981 with no structural changes; the form lists the condition as excellent and the building as occupied. |
| Acreage | 1.4 |
| Coordinates | 41.73930, -80.76182 (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 82001357.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137599227
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.