640 W WASHINGTON AVE

640 W WASHINGTON AVE

Dane

Madison

1903

1983

depot

Neoclassical/Beaux Arts

Brick

Frost and Granger

No

A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office. Madison Landmark: 9/8/1975. The map code is 0709-232-2908-7. This brick station is in a Beaux Arts style with its bracketed eaves, arched windows and other Renaissance details. Represents the importance of the railroad to Madison's 19th and early 20th century commerce and the work of a regionally important architectural firm. The Milwaukee Road Depot site, which includes the old passenger and baggage depots, was built in 1903 as a part of the general improvement policy of the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railway Company at the turn of the century. "Opened in 1903, the Milwaukee Road station and baggage building stand as a reminder of the importance of railroad transportation in the growth of Madison. The brick structures were designed by Frost and Granger, a prominent Chicago architectural firm that also designed the Chiacgo and North-Western station in Madison and railroad buildings across the Midwest. The West Madison site has been associated with transportation since 1854 when the first rail line, the Milwaukee and Mississippi, reached Madison. The Milwaukee Road, the first of three major railroads that historically served Madison, made a vital contribution to the commercial life of the city by bringing tourists, legislators, university students, and soldiers, particularly during World War II. As the major freight transporters, the three railroads enabled Madison to become a wholesale and distribution center large enough to serve farmers and agricultural industries throughout the Midwest. The outside appearance of the depot has changed little over the years, although dormers have been removed and in 1928 the roof was raised on the baggage building to provide a meeting room for the railroad's women's club. As part of a remodeling in 1940, the original station entrance was closed and two waiting room windows converted to doors to accommodate larger crowds. The railroad maintained a park behind the station from shortly after its opening to 1940, when a parking lot was built. Scheduled passenger service to Madison ended in 1971, but Amtrak maintained a ticket office here until 1978. Milwaukee Road freight offices were located in the station until its remaining Madison operations were moved to the east side in 1983. As of 11/14/1970, the large yards were reduced to two tracks used by the Soo Line, which purchased the Milwaukee Road in 1985. A Historic Structure Report of this building can be found in Room 312 at the Wisconsin Historical Society.

Sandstone and Buffalo Robes: Madison's historic buildings, third edition, 1975. Madison's Pioneer Buildings: A Downtown Walking Tour, 1987.

West Madison Depot, Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railway

May 09, 1985

Jan 01, 1989