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3D Satellite, 147 photos)
US-66 Overview
The building is in rather good shape given that it has been neglected since 1969. This is like coaling towers in that it is a testament to the lasting power of reinforced concrete if it is built correctly.
Route 66 photos cards
posted two photos with the comment:
Here is a "then & now" of the "Union Depot, Joplin, Mo." on Route 66. The "then" is an older hand-painted postcard and the "now" is a 2019 Google image. Joplin's railroad depot was built in 1911 and remained operational until 1969. It served the Kansas City Southern Railway and the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. Despite plans to restore it in the 1980s, it has fallen into disrepair. Route 66 travelers saw the station from 1st St. Viaduct and later from 3rd St. Viaduct as they drove into the city.
Designed by the Canadian-born architect Louis Curtiss, the station was featured in the January 1912 edition of Popular Mechanics for its use of mining waste in concrete. On March 14, 1973, the station was entered into the National Register of Historic Places. It is currently unoccupied. There are currently[when?] plans to restore the depot. There have been many ideas for its use, but none have been made certain. This would tie in with the revitalization of downtown.
On October 20, 2021, the station was listed as a Place In Peril by Missouri Preservation, a statewide organization advocating for the preservation of architectural and historic landmarks.
Joplin Union Depot supporters announced on May 4, 2022, plans for a national marketing effort to find an interested party to restore and use the 110-year-old station.
The postcard is courtesy of Missouri Digital Heritage.
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David Harrison commented on the above post
[Looks like Street View, Jun 2019] |
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Ingrid Schelin commented on the above post
I was there last November. This was taken from the PO parking lot on the hill above. There were homeless people sleeping at the base of the hill. ☹️
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Raymond Storey posted
JOPLIN MO |
The MKT went up and over the town to join the KCS route down to the station. The MKT terminated in this town.
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1962 Joplin West Quad @ 24,000
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Blue Miller
posted 10 photos with the comment:
The Joplin Union Depot is a stone’s throw off Route 66. I suddenly remembered how close today and wheeled around to visit.
It opened to the public on June 30, 1911, and was designed by Louis Curtiss. Unlike many other stations of the time, it was boldly modern and for over half a century it served the Kansas City Southern, Missouri-Kansas-Texas and Santa Fe Railroads. As well as ticket offices, a waiting room and a dining room, the station housed a number of shops and a telegraph office. For years it was the heart of Joplin.
The last train pulled out of Union Depot on November 3, 1969 and the building was sold in the early 1970s. It was briefly a restaurant and a nightclub but it’s now stood empty for half a century. Owned now by the State of Missouri, there have been a number of proposals for Union Depot but nothing has come to anything and so this grand old building stands quietly mouldering away.
Marc Gruenwald: Unfortunately Missouri will most likely let it rot and fall apart because it seems Missouri doesn't care about anything historic unless it makes them money or what they can waste money on like the route 66 gateway thing that's being built on st. Louis street in Springfield Missouri right now the city of Springfield wanting to build a new expo center when we already have a perfectly good one already that pretty much sits empty 90% of the year or so
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