Louisville and Nashville Railroad Station
Encyclopedia
The Historic Railpark and Train Museum, formerly the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Station in Bowling Green, Kentucky
, is an historic railroad station. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
on December 18, 1979. Built in 1925, the standing depot is the last among a succession of Louisville & Nashville Railroad depots that served Bowling Green.
The first railroad depot built in Bowling Green was in 1859, when the L&N's rails reached Bowling Green. The line from Nashville
reached Bowling Green on August 10, and was celebrated by 10,000 Nashvillians. The line to Louisville
was complete on October 18.
The first Louisville & Nashville Station in Bowling Green was a brick building. However, both armies during the Civil War
found the L&N railroad a convenient logistical tool, and found the region a convenient passageway to enemy territory, making Bowling Green a key to both sides' Western war plans
. When the Confederates
were forced to retreat from the city, they burned all the railroad supplies they could and destroyed the brick depot. When Union
troops took the city, they set about building a new depot. It was a wooden building, and served the railroad and people of Bowling Green through the rest of the 19th century. Local agricultural goods, such as strawberries
and tobacco
, were shipped from the depot, as well as locally mined building stone and oil
. This made the L&N station the largest employment center in Bowling Green.
In 1878 malaria
broke out from New Orleans
to Memphis, Tennessee
. Residents of Memphis wishing to escape the epidemic
boarded the L&N trains, but residents from other towns refused to let them leave the train at their towns. Bowling Green's station was the first place they could leave the train, but enormous bonfire
s were built in order to deter infection. The evacuation of Memphis lasted a few days, until Memphis was quarantine
d.
At its peak, the depot served twenty trains a day. By the 1900s, the depot was becoming too small to adequately serve all those who used it. However, the president of the L&N, Milton H. Smith, was rumored to have been arrested once in Bowling Green and refused to build a new station in Bowling Green. In the 1920s, the new depot, the one still standing, was built with much celebration five years after Smith's death, seeming to confirm the rumor. It was constructed of locally quarried limestone
. After World War II
, rail traffic was becoming less popular. Although Amtrak
replaced L&N Passnger service in 1971, the last passenger train left the depot on October 6, 1979.
Currently, the old depot serves as The Historic Railpark and Train Museum, with several historic railroad cars on the property. One festival held annually in December is the Festival of Trains.
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...
, is an historic railroad station. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on December 18, 1979. Built in 1925, the standing depot is the last among a succession of Louisville & Nashville Railroad depots that served Bowling Green.
The first railroad depot built in Bowling Green was in 1859, when the L&N's rails reached Bowling Green. The line from Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
reached Bowling Green on August 10, and was celebrated by 10,000 Nashvillians. The line to Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
was complete on October 18.
The first Louisville & Nashville Station in Bowling Green was a brick building. However, both armies during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
found the L&N railroad a convenient logistical tool, and found the region a convenient passageway to enemy territory, making Bowling Green a key to both sides' Western war plans
Western Theater of the American Civil War
This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.-Theater of operations:...
. When the Confederates
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
were forced to retreat from the city, they burned all the railroad supplies they could and destroyed the brick depot. When Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
troops took the city, they set about building a new depot. It was a wooden building, and served the railroad and people of Bowling Green through the rest of the 19th century. Local agricultural goods, such as strawberries
Strawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
and tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
, were shipped from the depot, as well as locally mined building stone and oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
. This made the L&N station the largest employment center in Bowling Green.
In 1878 malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
broke out from New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
to Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. Residents of Memphis wishing to escape the epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
boarded the L&N trains, but residents from other towns refused to let them leave the train at their towns. Bowling Green's station was the first place they could leave the train, but enormous bonfire
Bonfire
A bonfire is a controlled outdoor fire used for informal disposal of burnable waste material or as part of a celebration. Celebratory bonfires are typically designed to burn quickly and may be very large...
s were built in order to deter infection. The evacuation of Memphis lasted a few days, until Memphis was quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
d.
At its peak, the depot served twenty trains a day. By the 1900s, the depot was becoming too small to adequately serve all those who used it. However, the president of the L&N, Milton H. Smith, was rumored to have been arrested once in Bowling Green and refused to build a new station in Bowling Green. In the 1920s, the new depot, the one still standing, was built with much celebration five years after Smith's death, seeming to confirm the rumor. It was constructed of locally quarried limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, rail traffic was becoming less popular. Although Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
replaced L&N Passnger service in 1971, the last passenger train left the depot on October 6, 1979.
Currently, the old depot serves as The Historic Railpark and Train Museum, with several historic railroad cars on the property. One festival held annually in December is the Festival of Trains.