Lamar Train Depot Listed in the National Register of Historic Places

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Passenger Depot has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building was officially listed on July 19th, 2019. The process to register the historic building has taken over a year through a nomination form that was submitted through efforts of the Lamar Historic Preservation Advisory Board. The Train Depot joins properties such as the US Post Office-Lamar Main, Willow Creek Park, Davies Hotel-Payne Hotel, Prowers County Court House, and many others in being designated on the National Register.

Completed in 1907, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe (AT&SF) Railway Passenger Depot in Lamar exhibits characteristics of the Prairie School style. The 2,490-square-foot-brick masonry building is located within Lamar’s central business district and was built to replace a wood-frame combination passenger and freight depot constructed in 1888 after the town’s first depot burned.

Originally consisting of a waiting room area and ticket office to the west and an express office and baggage room extending to the east, the depot currently houses the Colorado Welcome Center and the Lamar Chamber of Commerce.

“The City is honored that the train depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places to recognize a local landmark that is important to our community for travel and tourism” said Mayor Roger Stagner. “The City appreciates the hard work that went in to the nomination process that resulted in recognizing an iconic part of our history.”

The National Register of Historic Places is the official federal list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects significant in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, and culture. These contribute to an understanding of the historical and cultural foundations of the nation.

Authorized under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Register is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect our historic and archeological resources. In Colorado there are over 1,600 properties listed in the National Register and over 2,100 listed in the State Register.

Properties listed in the National or State Registers may be eligible for investment tax credits or for grants from the State Historical Fund, another program of History Colorado.