Oberlin Lake Shore And Michigan Southern Station
Also known as: Oberlin Head Start Center
Why it's listed
Oberlin's old railroad depot sits in a three-to-four-acre park in a mostly residential part of town, beside the former rail line. Built in 1867, shortly after the Civil War, it is a one-story wood frame building with board and batten siding, a gable roof with broad eaves held up by large carved brackets, and hood moldings over the windows and doors. The design combines early Gothic Revival features with Italianate details. When passenger service opened on the line to Elyria, travel time between the two largest communities in Lorain County dropped from two hours to twenty minutes. The depot housed telegraph, ticket and baggage offices and separate waiting rooms, and for decades it was the main entry point for Oberlin College students, families and businessmen. The last passenger train ran in 1949, and all service ended in 1976. The depot has since been restored on the outside and converted to a Head Start center, and it remains one of the last traces of the railroad in Oberlin.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a fine, well-preserved example of mid-nineteenth-century railroad architecture that blends early Gothic Revival features with Italianate details. It is described as one of the finest and best preserved depots of its style in Lorain County. It also marks the arrival of passenger rail service that linked Oberlin to Elyria and the wider region.
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 79001888, listed March 2, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Depot Park, Oberlin |
|---|---|
| County | Lorain County |
| Listed | March 2, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001888 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Blend of early Gothic Revival and Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Reused as a Head Start classroom center; exterior restored, interior partitioned with suspended ceilings; condition listed as good. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 41.28456, -82.21868 (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 79001888.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15263271
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.