Though there are many older buildings in downtown the 1926 Santa Fe Train Depot that now houses the Flagstaff Visitors Center and the local AmTrak station has been the traditional starting point for downtown tours for many decades. So, in keeping with tradition, today’s stop on our walking tour is all about the history of this uniquely constructed historic building. So let’s get started!
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By the 1920’s, Flagstaff was quite prosperous. The town had played an important role in WWI and was in full swing for the roaring 20’s, and 1926 in particular was a big year for the community. Among the notable occurrences were the incorporation of Flagstaff as a city, the portion of the National Old Trails Highway that ran from Illinois to California was officially designated as Route 66, the Tourist Home was erected south of the tracks, John Weatherford’s road to the top of the peaks was completed, and of course this gorgeous building was erected.
The old 1889 rail depot wasn’t quite keeping up with the times and a number of prominent citizens of the time approached the railroad to build something new. This gorgeous structure is the result. Its grand opening was on Jan 5, 1926 and though the BNSF no longer operates out of it, the building acts as a bit of a centerpiece for downtown Flagstaff.
CHECK OUT THE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE
The first feature of this building that makes it unique in the Flagstaff landscape is its architectural style. It is a Tudor Revival style building and can be identified with its steeply pitched roof, partially timbered walls, and of course its numerous gables. This style makes it stand out among the other architecture in the area, but it also blends in just fine with the use of local bricks along the base of the structure.
The next stop on our tour will be the 1889 train depot just down the tracks. Check it out HERE. If you’d like to be notified when we add stops to our tour, head over to YouTube and hit the subscribe button as well as the notification bell.
Until next time, keep exploring my friends, we’ll see you later.