The Union Depot is a former

train station A train station, railroad station, or railway station 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 suc ...

, located at 637 E. Michigan Avenue in

Lansing, Michigan Lansing () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Michigan. The most populous city in Ingham County, Michigan, Ingham County, parts of the city extend into Eaton County, Michigan, Eaton County and nort ...

. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1995.

History

The first railroad through Lansing was the Amboy, Lansing and Traverse Bay Railroad, which arrived in 1863. The Jackson & Lansing Railroad followed in 1864, and in 1871 the

Michigan Central Railroad The Michigan Central Railroad (reporting mark MC) was originally chartered in 1832 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan, and St. Joseph, Michigan. The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in th ...

began leasing these lines. Michigan Central constructed a wooden passenger depot at this spot in 1873. The depot also served the

Detroit, Lansing and Lake Michigan Rail Road The Detroit, Lansing and Lake Michigan Railroad (DL&LM) is a defunct railroad which built and operated the first rail line between Detroit and the state capital Lansing, Michigan, Lansing. Though the corporation was short-lived, much of the rout ...

, which had constructed tracks through Lansing in 1868. In 1900, this line was consolidated into the

Pere Marquette Railroad The Pere Marquette Railway was a railroad that operated in the Great Lakes region of the United States and southern parts of Ontario in Canada. It had trackage in the states of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and the Canadian province of Ontario. Its p ...

. However, also by 1900, the wooden depot was proving inadequate to service both the Michigan Central and Pere Marquette Railways, and the two companies jointly decided to replace the station in 1901. The Detroit architectural firm of

Spier and Rohns Spier, Rohns & Gehrke was a noted Detroit, Michigan architectural firm operated by Frederick H. Spier and William C. Rohns, best remembered for designs of churches and railroad stations. These were frequently executed in the Richardson Romanesque ...

, which planned many Michigan Central stations, designed the station. Construction began in late 1901, and was finished in 1902. The combined depot served both lines for decades, but with the increase in automobile traffic, ridership declined. The

New York Central Railroad The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected New York metropolitan area, gr ...

, the successor to Michigan Central, ceased its remaining passenger service (

Jackson Jackson may refer to: Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson South, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson oil field in Durham, ...

-Lansing-

Saginaw Saginaw () is a city in Saginaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. It had a population of 44,202 at the 2020 census. Located along the Saginaw River, Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of ...

- Bay City) in 1959. The

Chesapeake and Ohio Railway The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis Potter Huntington, it reached from Virginia's capital city of Rich ...

, the successor to the Pere Marquette, continued passenger service to Lansing (on the

Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

circuit) only due to the threat of legal action, and when

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

took over passenger trains, they ended service to Lansing in 1971. The depot remained vacant for several years. In 1978, restaurateur Peter Jubeck bought the building and transformed it into Clara's Lansing Station. Retaining the quarter-sawn oak interior and installing locally crafted stained glass windows, the restaurant has a unique and historical atmosphere. In 1994, Jubeck purchased an old Pullman sleeper rail car, renovating it, and attaching to the building, opening it in 1999 to add more seating space. Clara's Lansing Station was the sister restaurant of Clara's on the River located in the Michigan Central Depot in

Battle Creek Battle Creek is a city in northwestern Calhoun County, Michigan, United States, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo River, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek River, Battle Creek rivers. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a tota ...

. The restaurant closed on June 26, 2016 after 38 years of operation. Later that year the building was purchased by Lansing-based Gillespie Group with plans to preserve the station for future reuse.

Description

The Lansing Union Depot is a single-story, hip-roof

Tudor Revival Tudor Revival architecture, also known as mock Tudor in the UK, first manifested in domestic architecture in the United Kingdom in the latter half of the 19th century. Based on revival of aspects that were perceived as Tudor architecture, in rea ...

building with walls finished in light brown Roman pressed brick ad limestone. It sits on a concrete foundation, with limestone above, up to the level of the window sills. The depot measures 149 feet in length and 35 feet in width. The roof, originally covered with Ludowici tiles but now covered with asphalt shingles, has wide eaves supported with brackets. Semi-round towers on one side are topped with conical roofs.

References

External links

*
Official page of Clara's Restaurants
{{Lansing-East Lansing National Register of Historic Places in Lansing, Michigan Railway stations on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan

Lansing Lansing () is the capital city of the U.S. state of Michigan. The most populous city in Ingham County, parts of the city extend into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. It is the sixth-most populous city in Michigan with a popul ...

Railway stations in the United States opened in 1902

Former railway stations in Michigan Economy of Lansing, Michigan Transportation in Lansing, Michigan Spier & Rohns buildings

1902 establishments in Michigan 1972 disestablishments in Michigan Railway stations in the United States closed in 1972