|
SANTA FE DEPOT
-
Recognized by the Native Daughters of the Golden West, 1966
-
Historical building of the Orange Empire Railway Museum since
1969
-
Listed on the National Register of
Historic Places, 1994
|
The Perris Depot
is often described as one of the most elegant of the
nation's few surviving small town railway depots. It was designed by noted
railroad station architect Benjamin Franklin Levet at the behest of J.W. Nance,
a prominent Perris builder and investor. (Mr. Levet was the son-in-law of
Frederick Thomas Perris, Vice President and Chief Engineer of the
Southern California Railroad and the person for whom the City of
Perris was named.) |
Built
of red brick, the Perris Depot is a classic example of High Victorian style.
Most small town stations were built using standard frame construction. The depot
is still at its exact original site, and has remained basically unchanged from
its original design and construction. Furthermore, it represents a very
important architectural genre: Queen Anne. It is among the very few of the
original buildings of this style that today survives intact and unaltered.
The property now occupied by the depot was deeded to the Southern California
Railroad (predecessor to the Santa Fe Railway) on February 12, 1886 by T.J.
Fording, one of the the group of San Bernardino businessmen who financed the
founding of the town of Perris. For some reason, it took another six years
before the new depot was completed and presented to the railroad company in
1892. Originally intended to be an important stop on a major transcontinental
line, this changed before its completion. Floods had several times washed out
many miles of line southward toward San Diego. With the elimination of service
to Elsinore and Temecula through Railroad Canyon, the distinction of Perris as a
junction point also ended.
|
Some beautiful posters and prints
of the Santa Fe Depot are available in the
Gift Shop, including signed prints by artist Judy Field,
and Perris Depot designs. |
However, a branch line to Hemet opened in 1888, and the depot served as a
transfer facility. In 1910, underground water was discovered and developed.
Cultivation of alfalfa became a major commodity of the valley, and the depot and
railroad became the focus of intense activity. World War II also saw more
railroad activity at the depot. But, after the war, in 1947 passenger service
ended. The coming of imported Colorado River water in 1953 and the introduction
of White Rose potatoes revived railroad traffic once again. |
As water for irrigation became increasingly more expensive, the cultivation
of potatoes declined. This contributed to the closing of the Perris Depot as the
Santa Fe freight agency in 1969. The depot structure was given to the Orange
Empire Railway Museum for historic preservation. Today it continues to serve the
City of Perris as a cultural center, currently housing the Perris Valley
Historical and Museum Association and its collection of local history artifacts.
Surviving the unpredictable changes during the depot's 100-year history are
the names of the leading mercantile houses which existed in the early days of
Perris. Written in lampblack, these pioneer family names can still be seen on
the freight house walls, indicating the location where all freight for that
business was to be left.
Back to Top |
