Building History

The Southern Pacific Railroad opened its Saugus, CA, depot in 1888, but had located a "station" at Saugus by 1887. According to historian Leon Worden's well-researched work, for railroads, there was a difference between a "station" and a "depot" during the nineteenth century. He wrote: "In railroad parlance, however, a 'station' is any designation in an employee timetable where a train could make a scheduled stop. The SP rulebooks defined it as a 'location on the railroad designated in the timetable by name.' The location might sport nothing more than a station sign on a post. All there was at the Saugus station in early 1887 was a water tank, a section house, and some remnants of the original Newhall depot that stood at the same location from 1876-1878. Soon, the railroad erected a small building for use as a telegraph and train order office. Santa Paula-bound passengers still had to change trains at Newhall." (See Leon Worden, SCV History.com, "Saugus Train Station Move to Heritage Junction," published 2022, accessed 09/14/2023.)

In order to preserve the building, local residents relocated it to William S. Hart Park on 06/24-25/1980. (See Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society.org, "Saugus Train Station," Accessed 09/14/2023.)

PCAD id: 24806