Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Depot (Pella, Iowa)

The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Passenger Depot-Pella, also known as the Pella Depot and the Rolscreen Museum, is a historic building located in Pella, Iowa, United States. The Des Moines Valley Railroad built the first tracks through the area in 1865, and they built a simple frame depot to serve passenger's needs. For 10 years, Pella served as the only rail stop in Marion County until a competing station was built in Knoxville, Iowa by the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad.[2] The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad leased the Des Moines Valley's tracks beginning in 1878 and provided freight service through 1980. The old frame building was replaced, in 1906, with a single story, brick depot–a conventional building style for the railroad. The new, brick depot served as a passenger station until the latter 1940s. The last passenger service was as a stop on a short line motor train service between Eldon in southeast Iowa and Des Moines.[3] The station was freight only by 1949.[4]

Pella
Former Rock Island Line passenger rail station
General information
Location679 Oskaloosa Street (
Iowa 163 Business), Pella, Iowa 50219
Services
Preceding station Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Following station
Otley
toward Des Moines
Des Moines – Washington Leighton
toward Washington
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Passenger Depot-Pella
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Depot (Pella, Iowa) is located in Iowa
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Depot (Pella, Iowa)
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Depot (Pella, Iowa) is located in the United States
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Depot (Pella, Iowa)
LocationJunction of Main and Oskaloosa Sts.
Pella, Iowa
Coordinates41°23′54″N 92°54′57″W / 41.39827°N 92.91597°W / 41.39827; -92.91597
Arealess than one acre
Built1906
MPSAdvent & Development of Railroads in Iowa MPS
NRHP reference No.91000909[1]
Added to NRHPJuly 22, 1991

In 1975 the future of the depot was thrown into question when the Rock Island Line filed for bankruptcy protection. However, the Pella Corporation, whose headquarters are adjacent, acquired the property and converted the depot into a company museum. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.[1]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ W.C. Page. "Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Passenger Depot-Pella". National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-07-29. with photos
  3. ^ "Rock Island Lines, Table 3". Official Guide of the Railways. 78 (12). National Railway Publication Company. May 1946.
  4. ^ "Rock Island Lines, Table 3, dropped as passenger station from table; indicated as freight only in Index of Railroad Stations". Official Guide of the Railways. 82 (3). National Railway Publication Company. August 1949.