Weatherford-Mineral Wells and Northwestern Railroad Depot
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Why it's listed
This brick railroad depot stands in the 200 block of South Oak Street on the southern edge of downtown Mineral Wells, Texas. Built in 1910 after an earlier wooden depot burned, it served the Weatherford-Mineral Wells and Northwestern Railroad, which Texas and Pacific bought in 1902. The long plan places an express company area, waiting rooms, office, trainmen's room, baggage room and warehouse in a line along the tracks. Red-orange brick, limestone sills, corbeled arches and deep bracketed eaves show Richardsonian and Romanesque Revival influence, and two open lobbies sheltered passengers and wagons. The depot matters because Mineral Wells grew as a health resort around its mineral waters. By 1915 it handled 200,000 passengers a year, and millions of bottles of water were shipped out annually. Rail traffic fell after the Depression. At the time of listing the building was vacant, privately owned and in need of repair, with rehabilitation expected.
Significance in brief: The depot is tied to Mineral Wells' growth as a health resort in the early 1900s, when rail service carried visitors and bottled mineral water. It is a typical elongated early twentieth-century station design with separate passenger and freight zones. Its round-arched covered lobbies and deep eaves show Romanesque Revival and Richardsonian influence.
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 84001953, listed January 5, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | S. Oak St., Mineral Wells |
|---|---|
| County | Palo Pinto County |
| Listed | January 5, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84001953 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Richardsonian influence / Romanesque Revival detailing |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as privately owned and unoccupied (vacant). Needs repairs to gutters, brick and mortar, and repainting; rehabilitation was anticipated. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Mineral Wells Central Historic District |
| Coordinates | 32.80613, -98.11165 (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 84001953.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001292
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.