The Huntsville Depot located on the
Norfolk Southern Railway line in downtown
Huntsville
Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in th ...
is the oldest surviving
railroad depot
A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a Rail transport, railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passenger train, passengers, freight rail transport, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one r ...
in
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County
, LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham
, area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...
and one of the oldest in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. Completed in 1860, the depot served as eastern division headquarters for the
Memphis and Charleston Railroad
The Memphis and Charleston Railroad, completed in 1857, was the first railroad in the United States to link the Atlantic Ocean with the Mississippi River. Chartered in 1846, the gauge railroad ran from Memphis, Tennessee to Stevenson, Alabama th ...
.
It is listed on both the
Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage The Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage, commonly referred to as the Alabama Register, is an official listing of buildings, sites, structures, objects, and districts deemed worthy of preservation in the U.S. state of Alabama. These properties ...
and
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 ...
.
Huntsville was occupied by
Union forces in 1862 during the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
as a strategic point on the railroad and the depot was used as a prison for
Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
soldiers.
Graffiti
Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...
left by the soldiers can still be seen on the walls. The Huntsville Depot saw its last regularly scheduled passenger train,
Southern Railway's ''
The Tennessean
''The Tennessean'' (known until 1972 as ''The Nashville Tennessean'') is a daily newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee. Its circulation area covers 39 counties in Middle Tennessee and eight counties in southern Kentucky. It is owned by Gannett, ...
'', on March 30, 1968. Today the Depot serves as a museum, part of the
Early Works Museum.
A
0-4-0 Porter
Porter may refer to:
Companies
* Porter Airlines, Canadian regional airline based in Toronto
* Porter Chemical Company, a defunct U.S. toy manufacturer of chemistry sets
* Porter Motor Company, defunct U.S. car manufacturer
* H.K. Porter, Inc., ...
steam locomotive that was built in Pittsburgh in 1904 resides outside of the museum.
See also
*
Alabama Constitution Village
The Constitution Hall Park is a historical open-air museum in Huntsville, Alabama, that reenacts life in 1819. The eight buildings include a law office, print shop, land surveyor's office, post office, cabinetmaker's shop and residence. It was adde ...
*
North Alabama Railroad Museum
The North Alabama Railroad Museum, Inc. is a railroad museum in Chase, Alabama. The museum, incorporated in 1966, is an all volunteer organization. The museum has a collection of rolling stock, a small train station, and a small heritage railroa ...
*
List of museums in Alabama
The list of museums in Alabama contains museums in the U.S. state of Alabama. A number of public and private institutions and organizations around the state make their collections available for public viewing. These museums contain artifacts an ...
*
List of transport museums
A transport museum is a museum that holds collections of transport items, which are often limited to land transport (road and rail)—including old cars, motorcycles, trucks, trains, trams/streetcars, buses, trolleybuses and coaches—but can a ...
References
External links
*
* of adjacent freight depot
{{authority control
Railway stations in the United States opened in 1860
Stations along Southern Railway lines in the United States
Museums in Huntsville, Alabama
Historic American Engineering Record in Alabama
National Register of Historic Places in Huntsville, Alabama
Properties on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage
Railroad museums in Alabama
Railway stations on the National Register of Historic Places in Alabama
Transportation buildings and structures in Madison County, Alabama
Former railway stations in Alabama