Chelsea station is a disused railroad depot located at 150 Jackson Street in Chelsea, Michigan. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1986[2] and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010 as Michigan Central Railroad Chelsea Depot.[1] The depot is the only known Michigan example designed by the well known Detroit architectural firm of Mason and Rice.[2]
Chelsea, MI | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| General information | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | 150 Jackson Street, Chelsea, Washtenaw County, Michigan 48118 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1880 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Closed | 1981 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Michigan Central Railroad Chelsea Depot | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Location | 150 Jackson St., Chelsea, Michigan | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 42°19′9″N 84°1′11″W / 42.31917°N 84.01972°W | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Area | 0.8 acres (0.32 ha) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Built | 1880 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Built by | Adams & Rogers | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Architect | Mason and Rice | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Architectural style | Stick style Victorian architecture | ||||||||||||||||||||
| NRHP reference No. | 87000915[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Significant dates | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Added to NRHP | June 12, 1987 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Designated MSHS | December 5, 1986[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||
History
editThe land where the Chelsea Depot now sits was first settled in the 1830s by brothers Elisha and James Congdon.[2] In 1848, the Congdons offered the Michigan Central Railroad a plot of land along the rail line on which to build a station. The railroad accepted, and the first structure built at the site was a freight station, completed in 1850. A series of freight stations followed, and the resulting freight business through the town spurred the growth of Chelsea in the mid-1800s.[2] However, in 1875, the last of these depots – a rather shabby shed – was destroyed under suspicious circumstances, and the railroad was slow to rebuild it.[3]
In 1880, the railroad decided to establish passenger service in Chelsea, and chose the site for an experiment in improving the appearance and design of their rural stations.[2] The railroad hired Detroit architects Mason and Rice to design the new station. It was built and commissioned in 1880, and served as a Michigan Central Railroad passenger station until 1975, when the company went out of business. Amtrak took over the line, and continued service until 1981, when the station was closed.[2] For the next few years, the station was used for storage.[4]
In 1985, a group of Chelsea citizens formed the Chelsea Depot Association and, with the financial assistance of local businesses,[4] purchased the depot to prevent the deterioration of the structure. They began restoration efforts in 1986, and the depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.[2] The building has since been used as a rental space for community and private functions, and the Chelsea Depot Association continues to maintain it. In 2011, the exterior was repainted and new windows were installed.[4]
Description
editMason and Rice's design for the Michigan Central Railroad Chelsea Depot is a Stick style[3] Late Victorian design, with multiple gables and gingerbread decoration.[2] It is a one-story rectangular frame structure[2] measuring 100 feet (30 m) by 35 feet (11 m),[4] with widely overhanging eaves.[3] A hip roof triple bay at each end delineates the two interior waiting rooms - one for women and one for men.[2] Most of the structure is covered with horizontal clapboard, but the gable ends are covered with vertical board and batten. A brick patio surrounds the building.[2] With the exception of some changes to the chimney structure and missing roof crests and finial, the depot's exterior looks exactly like it did when constructed.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Michigan Central Railroad Chelsea Depot". Michigan State Housing Development Authority: Historic Sites Online. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
- ^ a b c d Michael H. Hodges (2012), Michigan's Historic Railroad Stations, Wayne State University Press, pp. 37–39, ISBN 9780814334836
- ^ a b c d Kathy Clark (January 24, 2011). "CHELSEA: Depot gets much-needed facelift". Chelsea Standard. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013.
External links
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