Santa Fe Passenger Depot
Why it's listed
Built in 1902, this long brick depot on East Broadway in Gainesville served the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway. C.W. Felt, the railroad's chief engineer, drew the plans in 1901. The building runs about 212 feet along the tracks and is made of reddish-orange brick with sandstone sills and lintels. Its central two-story section held a Fred Harvey restaurant, with living quarters for waitresses above and boilers in the basement. Baggage, express and separate waiting rooms occupied the wings. Details draw on Queen Anne window styles and on Southwest mission-inspired parapets. Gainesville was an important shipping point linking the Midwest with the Gulf of Mexico, and the depot handled livestock and a dozen daily passenger trains. Traffic peaked again during World War II because of nearby Camp Howze. Passenger service ended in 1979, and the Santa Fe Railway deeded the depot to the city in 1981. It is described as one of the least altered commercial buildings of its era in the city.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the depot as one of the least altered turn-of-the-century commercial buildings in Gainesville and as evidence of the city's role as a rail and commercial center in north-central Texas. It also housed a Fred Harvey restaurant and handled heavy livestock and passenger traffic in the early 20th century.
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 83003757, listed October 6, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 505 E. Broadway, Gainesville |
|---|---|
| County | Cooke County |
| Listed | October 6, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83003757 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | C.W. Felt, Chief Engineer, Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne-inspired window details with low curvilinear parapets reflecting Southwest mission interest |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the City of Gainesville, which received it from the Santa Fe Railway in 1981; the form lists it as unoccupied and vacant, abandoned after Amtrak service ended in 1979. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.62641, -97.14063 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 83003757.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5517245
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.