The Barstow Harvey House, also known as Harvey House Railroad Depot and Barstow station, is a historic building in

Barstow, California Barstow is a city in San Bernardino County, California, in the Mojave Desert of Southern California. Located in the Inland Empire region of California, the population was 25,415 at the 2020 census. Barstow is an important crossroads for the In ...

. Originally built in 1911 as Casa del Desierto, a

Harvey House The Fred Harvey Company was the owner of the Harvey House chain of restaurants, hotels and other hospitality industry businesses alongside railroads in the Western United States. It was founded in 1876 by Fred Harvey to cater to the growing n ...

hotel and

Santa Fe Railroad The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison and Topeka, Kansas, and ...

depot, it currently serves as an

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...

station and government building housing city offices, the Barstow Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center, and two

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...

History and architecture

The Casa del Desierto station and hotel was built in 1911 by the

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison, Kansas, Atchison and Top ...

to replace an earlier one built in 1885 that burned in 1908. The building is a synthesis of

Spanish Renaissance The Spanish Renaissance was a movement in Spain, emerging from the Italian Renaissance in Italy during the 14th century, that spread to Spain during the 15th and 16th centuries. This new focus in art, literature, quotes and science inspired ...

and

Classical Revival architecture Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...

styles, with a Moorish feeling as well. The concrete frame is faced with red tapestry brick and beige artificial stone. Majestic arcades and colonnades line the facade, providing shade from the desert sun. Red clay barrel tiles are used to cover the roof. Towers at the building's corners, and those of the central projecting bay facing the tracks, are capped with pointed roofs or painted domes. Francis W. Wilson is the architect credited by the

Historic American Buildings Survey Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) responsible for administering the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes ...

of the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...

. Amtrak's Great American Stations site says that "according to contemporary accounts, the Casa del Desierto ... was designed by Francis W. Wilson of Santa Barbara, Calif." Earlier Wilson had designed the Fray Marcos hotel in

Williams, Arizona Williams ( yuf-x-hav, Wii Gvʼul) is a city in Coconino County, Arizona, United States, located west of Flagstaff. Its population was 3,023 at the 2010 census. It lies on the routes of Historic Route 66 and Interstate 40. It is also the southe ...

, and

El Garces El Garces Intermodal Transportation Facility (also known as Needles station) is an Amtrak intercity rail station and bus depot in downtown Needles, California. The structure was originally built in 1908 as El Garces, a Harvey House and Atchison ...

in Needles for the Santa Fe and Fred Harvey. The historic structure is the finest remaining depot-hotel in California, an elegant presence in the Mojave Desert beside the intermittent

Mojave River The Mojave River is an intermittent river in the eastern San Bernardino Mountains and the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California, United States. Most of its flow is underground, while its surface channels remain dry most of the time, ...

. In the 1950s, the Barstow Harvey House was listed in the '' Green Book'' guide of business establishments that were friendly to African-American motorists. The Santa Fe closed the station in 1973. Casa del Desierto was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1975, and designated as a

California Historical Landmark A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance. Criteria Historical significance is determined by meeting at least one of ...

in 1976. It became derelict until bought by the City of Barstow, and rebuilt following heavy damage in a 1992 earthquake. The City of Barstow obtained the station in 1990. After restoration and more than $8 million in repairs to earthquake damage, several city offices moved into the building. The Barstow Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center also operates out of the former Harvey House. Other public institutions located here are the

Western America Railroad Museum The Western America Railroad Museum is a railroad museum located in Barstow, California. The museum collects, preserves and shares the history of railroading in the Pacific Southwest. It is located on the east side of the Harvey House Railroad ...

on the east side and the Route 66 "Mother Road" Museum on the north side.

References

External links

Barstow station USA Rail Guide (TrainWeb)Barstow Route 66 "Mother Road" MuseumBarstow Area Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Fred Harvey Company Barstow, California Museums in San Bernardino County, California Railroad museums in California Tourist attractions along U.S. Route 66 Amtrak stations in San Bernardino County, California Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach stations in San Bernardino County, California Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway hotels Former Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway stations in California Defunct hotels in California History of the Mojave Desert region History of San Bernardino County, California California Historical Landmarks National Register of Historic Places in San Bernardino County, California Railway stations in the United States opened in 1911 1911 establishments in California Railway stations on the National Register of Historic Places in California Neoclassical architecture in California Spanish Revival architecture in California

History and architecture

See also

References

External links