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Overview

Replacing a previous wooden terminal that burned in 1916, this grandly-scaled railroad station served Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe (ATSF) Railway passengers entering and exiting San Bernardino, CA, from 1918 until 1971. Thereafter, it became part of the Amtrak system. Its large scale and elaborate Spanish Colonial Revival stylistic embellishment suggested the importance of the stop to the ATSF Railway, and also embodied the ambitions of San Bernardino's civic leaders.

Building History

The ATSF had served San Bernardino since just before 1886, when a boxcar was placed in town to serve as a makeshift depot. A proper, wood-frame station replaced this by 1886, lasting until 11/16/1916 when it burned. Between 1916 and 1918, another temporary structure served ATSF passengers in San Bernardino.

This grand Spanish Colonial design by the ATSF's in-house architect W.H. Mohr, opened on 07/15/1918, at the tail end of World War I. Few buildings were completed during 1917 and 1918, due to war-time limits on non-essential construction. Mohr worked with the Cresmer Manufacturing Company, the firm that erected the building.

Building Notes

This Spanish Colonial Revival Style railway depot is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, level of significance: Local. The second Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Station in San Bernardino cost $800,000 to build, and was, at the time, the largest rail depot west of the Mississippi River. As this was a major stop on the Santa Fe line, a welter of restaurants and hotels opened a short distance from the station over the years, including, the Cave Cafe, Pirate's Den, Eichenberg's Cafe, the Saint Augustine Hotel, the Maryland Hotel and the Travelers Hotel.

Alteration

Additions were made to the depot's eastern portion c. 1920. A Harvey House Restaurant and an hotel opened in this new space in 1921. The Harvey House remained in business until the 1950s.