Myrtle Beach Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot is a historic

train station A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing s ...

located at

Myrtle Beach Myrtle Beach is a resort city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is located in the center of a long and continuous stretch of beach known as "The Grand Strand" in the northeastern part of the state. Its ...

Horry County, South Carolina Horry County ( ) is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 351,029. It is the fourth-most populous county in South Carolina. The county seat is Conway. Horry County is the central ...

. It was built in 1937 by the

Atlantic Coast Line Railroad The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was a United States Class I railroad formed in 1900, though predecessor railroads had used the ACL brand since 1871. In 1967 it merged with long-time rival Seaboard Air Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast L ...

, and is one-story rectangular building was constructed with the standard ACL bi-level floor plan that has a raised freight room with steps leading down to the lobby/office area. It features exterior architectural detailing reflecting Colonial Revival, Craftsman, and Mission stylistic influences. It was listed on 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 2002.

Prior passenger services

Until 1955 the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad ran passenger rail service from the station to Chadbourn, North Carolina, where a connection could be made to a train bound for Florence, South Carolina, Sumter, South Carolina and Columbia's

Union Station A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...

to the west, and

Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is a port city in and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 at the 2020 census, it is the eighth most populous city in the state. Wilmington is t ...

to the east. At the start of the 1950s the train went beyond Chadbourn to Elrod, North Carolina, where a connection could be made to the ACL's '' Palmetto.'' From 1955, onward, there was only freight service from Myrtle Beach.

Restoration effort

Trains used the nearby train yard until 1971. The last freight train used the depot in 1988, and after that it became a beer distributor's warehouse. When it appeared the depot would be torn down, the city bought it for $750,000 in 2000. A concrete block addition came down in 2001 as efforts began to have the property named to the National Register. By the time the designation was achieved, the All Aboard Committee had raised $470,000 of the $677,000 restoration cost. The depot opened as a museum May 6, 2004.David Klepper, "Train Depot Takes Long Journey to Reopening," ''The Sun News'', May 6, 2004. A. Dale Gilliland, AIA volunteered his services as architect to restore the depot.

References

External links

Myrtle Beach Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Station - Myrtle Beach, South Carolina - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com
Railway stations on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina Railway stations in the United States opened in 1935 Buildings and structures in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Atlantic Coast Line Railroad stations Transportation in Horry County, South Carolina National Register of Historic Places in Horry County, South Carolina 1935 establishments in South Carolina Former railway stations in South Carolina {{SouthCarolina-railstation-stub