Michigan Central Railroad Depot (Battle Creek, Michigan)
Encyclopedia
The Michigan Central Railroad
Depot (listed in the National Register of Historic Places
as the Penn Central Railway Station) opened on July 27, 1888, in Battle Creek, MI. Rogers and MacFarlane
of Detroit designed the depot, one of several Richardsonian Romanesque
-style stations between Detroit and Chicago
in the late nineteenth century. Thomas Edison
as well as Presidents William Howard Taft
and Gerald Ford
visited here. The depot was acquired by the New York Central Railroad
in 1918, Penn Central in 1968 and Amtrak
in 1970. The depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1971.
Masonry of Lake Superior
red sandstone, noted for its distinctive patterns, provides one of the most striking aspects of the Depot’s exterior. Another prominent feature of the Depot is its clock tower.
In 1982, Amtrak moved operations to a newer facility located five blocks to the south on the Grand Trunk
line. The current Amtrak station
services the Detroit to Chicago, and the Port Huron, MI to Chicago routes. The Michigan Central Depot sat empty for seven years.
In 1989 restaurateurs Peter Jubeck
and Ross Simpson purchased the depot and transformed it into a restaurant named Clara’s on the River which opened June 8, 1992. Clara's on the River is a sister restaurant to Clara's Lansing Station, located in the Union Depot (Lansing, Michigan)
.
Michigan Central Railroad
The Michigan Central Railroad was originally incorporated in 1846 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan and St. Joseph, Michigan. The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in the United States, and the province of Ontario in Canada...
Depot (listed in 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...
as the Penn Central Railway Station) opened on July 27, 1888, in Battle Creek, MI. Rogers and MacFarlane
Rogers and MacFarlane
Rogers and MacFarlane was an architectural firm based in Detroit, Michigan. Founded in 1885 by James S. Rogers and Walter MacFarlane. The firm produced Commissions in Detroit and southern Michigan from 1885 until 1912....
of Detroit designed the depot, one of several Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after architect Henry Hobson Richardson, whose masterpiece is Trinity Church, Boston , designated a National Historic Landmark...
-style stations between Detroit and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in the late nineteenth century. Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
as well as Presidents William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
and Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
visited here. The depot was acquired by the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
in 1918, Penn Central in 1968 and 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...
in 1970. The depot was listed 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...
in 1971.
Masonry of Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
red sandstone, noted for its distinctive patterns, provides one of the most striking aspects of the Depot’s exterior. Another prominent feature of the Depot is its clock tower.
In 1982, Amtrak moved operations to a newer facility located five blocks to the south on the Grand Trunk
Grand Trunk Railway
The Grand Trunk Railway was a railway system which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated from headquarters in Montreal, Quebec; however, corporate...
line. The current Amtrak station
Battle Creek (Amtrak station)
Battle Creek is a train station in Battle Creek, Michigan served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. The station serves as the split between the Blue Water and Wolverine lines....
services the Detroit to Chicago, and the Port Huron, MI to Chicago routes. The Michigan Central Depot sat empty for seven years.
In 1989 restaurateurs Peter Jubeck
Peter Jubeck
-Pizza King and Sir Pizza:Beginning in 1962, and while attending Ball State, Jubeck worked at Pizza King , a local pizza eatery owned by the Swartz family. Robert W. Swartz, worked in his mom and dad's pizza place, located in Muncie, Indiana...
and Ross Simpson purchased the depot and transformed it into a restaurant named Clara’s on the River which opened June 8, 1992. Clara's on the River is a sister restaurant to Clara's Lansing Station, located in the Union Depot (Lansing, Michigan)
Union Depot (Lansing, Michigan)
The Union Depot is a former train station in Lansing, Michigan. The Union Depot began passenger service for the Michigan Central and Pere Marquette Railroads in 1902. The Detroit architectural firm of Spier and Rohns, which planned many Michigan Central stations, designed the building with...
.