Pickerington Depot
Why it's listed
Pickerington Depot is a one-story frame railroad station on North Center Street in Pickerington, Ohio, built in 1880 by the Toledo and Ohio Railway Company. Its gable roof has wide overhanging eaves carried on large scrolled brackets, and the walls are clad in board and batten above vertical tongue and groove siding. A projecting bay on the track side let the station agent watch for approaching trains. Inside, an agent's office separates the passenger waiting room from the freight room, the standard plan for small-town combination depots. The railroad connected Pickerington to Columbus and Toledo and gave farmers a reliable way to reach larger markets. A grain warehouse and elevator, a butter and cream company, a drainage tile mill, a cider mill and a stockyard opened nearby, each with a spur to the main track, and the population doubled within three years. Passenger service ended in 1957, and the abandoned depot was later rehabilitated as offices while keeping much of its original character.
Significance in brief: The depot is significant under Criterion A for its role in the community's transportation and development. The 1880 railroad link to Columbus and Toledo opened larger markets for local agricultural goods, spurred new agricultural businesses, and roughly doubled the town's population within three years. It is also a well-preserved example of a small-town combination 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 90001119, listed July 26, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 50 N. Center St., Fairfield |
|---|---|
| County | Fairfield County |
| Listed | July 26, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001119 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1880-1940 |
| Architectural style | Stick |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rehabilitated into office space after passenger service ended in 1957 and the depot was abandoned and neglected; exterior and interior retain a high degree of integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.88546, -82.75414 (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 90001119.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q130772323
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.