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Southern Rail Road Dept
Southern Railway, second station, built in 1905, on West Trade Street was
designed by Frank Milburn. This Spanish mission-style train station with
its red-tile roof and mock campanile replaced the old station on the same
site which had earlier been the Richmond and Danville passenger station.
In 1888, the city had four train depots for the heavy passenger and
freight cars which passed through town. When this depot opened, crowds
wandered through the flower-filled waiting room testing the shiny new
cuspidors and admiring the fancy details. Until 1914, Gresham's Southern
Railway Dining Room was located here. Customers could buy quail on toast
for a nickel a plate. Travelers had trouble, however, with the muddy
streets and infrequency of "hacks"
( horse-drawn carriages) for transportation. This station was the starting
point for parades and was close to the best hotels in town. It was razed
in 1963. |
