Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad Depot
Also known as: Lodi Depot; Station Building No. 101-6
Why it's listed
Built in 1882 along the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad, this wood depot in Lodi, Ohio, served the village as a passenger and mail station when the first rail line reached the community. In 1909 the railroad doubled its length, moved it 13 feet from the main line, and added a larger loading platform for freight. The work also brought wide overhanging eaves with decorative Stick/Eastlake brackets, a hipped roof, and horizontal clapboard siding. A 1977 truck and train collision burned the northwest end, and the building was shortened to its present 80-foot length. It still keeps its freight doors with transoms, the telegraph bay, and much original interior woodwork. The depot is valued for its role in local transportation and commerce, including freight access for farms and manufacturers, and for its architecture. A 1909 engineering drawing documents the expansion. Passenger service ended in 1938, and the railroad donated the building to the Lodi Railroad Museum in 2008.
Significance in brief: The depot is significant for its role in Lodi's transportation and commerce, as one of the earliest stations in Medina County that gave the village passenger, mail and, after 1909, freight service. It is also significant architecturally as a Stick/Eastlake style station, documented by a 1909 engineering drawing, and it remains on the siding where it was built.
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 12001215, listed January 23, 2013. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 204 Railroad St., Lodi |
|---|---|
| County | Medina County |
| Listed | January 23, 2013 |
| Reference number | 12001215 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1882-1938 |
| Architect / builder | W. & L. E. R.R. Toledo Division |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Stick/Eastlake |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Very good condition apart from the northwest end, which was shortened after a 1977 truck/train collision; the interior is unused and the building was deeded to the Lodi Railroad Museum in 2008. |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Coordinates | 41.03063, -82.01289 (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 12001215.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138569942
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.