Danville Southern Railway Passenger Depot
Also known as: VDHR File No. 108-58-12; See also:Downtown Danville Historic
Why it's listed
Located at 701 Craghead Street in downtown Danville, Virginia, this one-story depot was built in 1899 for the Southern Railway. Architect Frank P. Milburn and local builder R. B. Graham gave it cream-colored brick walls, a slate hip roof, corbiestepped parapets and bands of red diapered brickwork, a Flemish look uncommon among Virginia railroad buildings. For many years it was the city's main rail passenger facility. In 1915, when the railway double-tracked its line and shifted the roadbed, the roughly 1,000-ton building was jacked up and rolled about 150 feet to a new foundation rather than replaced. A fire in January 1922 gutted most of it. The rebuilding kept its layout but simplified the parapets and dormers and omitted the original central tower. Passenger services were reduced in 1982, and the south waiting room closed after a fire in 1993. Its significance rests on its role in local rail transportation and its distinctive architecture. A restoration was underway at the time of listing.
Significance in brief: It served as Danville's principal rail passenger facility from 1899, qualifying under Criterion A for transportation. Under Criterion C, its Flemish Renaissance styling, with corbiestepped parapets and diapered brickwork, is unusual among Virginia railroad buildings. The depot was moved about 150 feet in 1915 and rebuilt after a 1922 fire.
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 95000895, listed July 21, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 701 Craghead St., Danville (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Danville |
| Listed | July 21, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000895 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1899-1945 |
| Architect / builder | Milburn, Frank P. (architect); Graham, R. B. (builder) |
| Architectural style | Renaissance (Flemish Renaissance influence) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Not in regular use in recent years but only superficially deteriorated; undergoing restoration as a passenger depot and a branch of the Science Museum of Virginia. |
| Acreage | 1.6 |
| Within district | Danville Tobacco Warehouse and Residential District |
| Coordinates | 36.58379, -79.38368 (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 95000895.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5221339
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.