Santa Fe-Frisco Depot
Why it's listed
Built in 1910 at 1100 W. Kaufman in Paris, Texas, this brick railroad depot was conceived for an unusual shared operation between the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe and the Paris and Great Northern, a subsidiary of the Frisco line. Frisco owned the depot while Santa Fe owned most of the yard, and each railroad supplied personnel in alternating five-year periods. The building rises one and a half stories under a prominent clay tile hip roof with hip dormers and deep overhanging eaves. Cast-stone lintels top most doors and windows, and a campanile-like tower with a pyramidal roof and round-headed openings marks the structure. Its style combines Italianate and Prairie School influences and resembles Frisco buildings designed in St. Louis. Reviewers considered it an exceptional surviving Texas railroad depot, significant in architecture and transportation. Alterations include removal of the main entry doors and interior marble wainscot. The original owner objected to listing, but the City of Paris later acquired the depot and asked that the objection be lifted.
Significance in brief: The depot was built to house a joint operation between the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe and the Paris and Great Northern (a Frisco subsidiary), an arrangement described as a rarity on both systems. Its design recalls Frisco buildings designed in St. Louis and is called exceptional among surviving Texas railroad structures. The reviewer found it eligible under criteria A and C for its architectural and historical importance in Paris's development.
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 88001939, listed August 20, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1100 W. Kaufman, Paris |
|---|---|
| County | Lamar County |
| Listed | August 20, 1998 |
| Reference number | 88001939 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architectural style | Italianate/Prairie School influence |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Physical condition listed as good; the main entry doors and interior marble wainscot were removed. The city later acquired it and planned restoration and return to public service. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 33.66223, -101.47053 (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 88001939.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110025075
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.