Hobart, also known as The Pennsy Depot, is a disused train station in Hobart, Indiana. It was built in 1911 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 as the Pennsylvania Railroad Station.[2]

Hobart, IN
A westbound Amtrak train (either the Broadway Limited or Capitol Limited) passing through Hobart station in July 1990
General information
Location1001 Lillian Street, Hobart, Indiana
Line(s)Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway
Platforms1
Tracks1
History
Opened1858
ClosedMay 3, 1991[1]
Rebuilt1911
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Gary (Broadway)
toward Chicago
Calumet Wheeler
toward Valparaiso
Preceding station Pennsylvania Railroad Following station
Gary (Broadway)
toward Chicago
Main Line Wheeler
New Chicago
toward Chicago
Valparaiso Local Wheeler
toward Valparaiso
Pennsylvania Railroad Station
The former Pennsylvania Railroad depot on July 22, 2010
Map
Location1001 Lillian St., Hobart, Indiana
Coordinates41°32′3″N 87°14′49″W / 41.53417°N 87.24694°W / 41.53417; -87.24694
Built1911
ArchitectPrice & McDanahan
NRHP reference No.84001070[2]
Added to NRHPMarch 1, 1984

The first railroad to reach Hobart in 1858 was the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway (PFW&C) which later became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad. This was followed by the New York, Chicago & St. Louis (NYC&StL) or ‘Nickel Plate’ in 1882. The Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway (EJ&E) crossed both of these line in Hobart in 1888.[3] The EJ&E maintained crossing towers at each crossing. The ‘Ho Tower” was at the Nickel Plate Crossing on the south side and the ‘Bart Tower” at the PFW&C crossing on the east side of town.[3]

The first PFW&C depot was made of wood in 1858 and burned down. The second depot was removed in 1911 to make way for the 3rd Street – Highway 51 crossing and the new brick ‘Pennsy Depot’ constructed.[3]

The station was designed by Price & McDanahan in a Colonial Revival style using the local pressed brick. Its outstanding features include the gabled porticoes, curved soffits, ceramic-tile inserts and the semicircular transom windows.[3][4] It was closed when passenger service ended to Hobart. The ‘Save Our Station Committee of the Hobart Historical Society obtained ownership in 1983. It was transferred to the City of Hobart in 2004.[3] It was a craft shop for several years. In July 2010, the Hobart Chamber of Commerce was using the building for offices.

Bibliography

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  • Ball, T. H. (1900). Northwestern Indiana from 1800 to 1900. Chicago: Donohue & Henneberry. ISBN 9780722208106.
  • Grant, H. Roger; Bohi, Charles W. (1978). The Country Railroad Station in America. Boulder, Colorado: Pruett Publishing Co. ISBN 9780871085238.
  • Hobart Gazette. August 26, 1910. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • "Hobart History Advocate". No. 3. Hobart Historical Society. 1983. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help) Clippings and photo files
  • Earle, William (1934). "11: The Early History of Northern Lake County". In Old Settlers' Association (ed.). History of Lake County. Crown Point. p. 54.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Howatt, W. F. (1915). A Standard History of Lake County, Indiana, and the Calumet Region. Vol. 1. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co. p. 459.
  • Moore, Powell (1959). The Calumet Region. Indianapolis, Indiana: Indiana Historical Bureau. ASIN B0007DN8I6.

References

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  1. ^ "Amtrak Ends Calumet Service". The Star Press. Muncie, Indiana. May 4, 1991. p. 2. Retrieved January 12, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.  
  2. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  3. ^ a b c d e Images of America; Hobart; Sergio Carrera Mendoza; Arcadia Publishing; Charleston, South Carolina; 2014; ISBN 978-1-4671-1064-8
  4. ^ "Indiana State Historic Architectural and Archaeological Research Database (SHAARD)" (Searchable database). Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology. Retrieved 2016-05-01. Note: This includes Elin B. Christianson (June 1983). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Pennsylvania Railroad Station" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-05-01. and Accompanying photographs.
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