Pennsylvania Railroad Station (Fort Wayne, Indiana)

Pennsylvania Railroad Station
Location 221 West Baker Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Coordinates 41°4′20″N 85°8′26″W / 41.07222°N 85.14056°W / 41.07222; -85.14056Coordinates: 41°4′20″N 85°8′26″W / 41.07222°N 85.14056°W / 41.07222; -85.14056
Built 1914
Architect George B. Swift & Co., William L. Price
Architectural style American Craftsman
NRHP Reference # 98001056[1]
Added to NRHP 1998

Pennsylvania Railroad Station, also referred to as Baker Street Station, is a former passenger rail station in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana. The American Craftsman-style station opened to the public March 23, 1914, at a cost of $550,000.[2][3]

History

The station saw its most heavy usage during World War II, when about 3,000 visitors passed through the station daily.[2] The station was also frequented by politicians on whistle stop train tours, including U.S. Presidents Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Truman, and Eisenhower.[2]

In the second half of the 20th century, the station served as a stop on Amtrak's Broadway Limited (Chicago—Pittsburgh—New York) line until November 1990 when Amtrak was forced to reroute about 25 miles north of Fort Wayne.[4]

Today, Baker Street Station's concourse is used as a banquet hall and community events space,[5] while the east and west wings have been converted into office space.[2] Over the last decade, residents and local leaders have begun a movement to bring passenger rail service back to the city and station in the form of Amtrak or other high-speed rail service.[6]

Although the station has been without passenger rail service for over 20 years, it has remained a landmark to the city, designated a Fort Wayne Local Historic District in 1990.[7] and later, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 "Indiana, Allen County". National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 2013-06-18.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "History". Baker Street Train Station. Retrieved 2013-06-18.
  3. ↑ "Indiana State Historic Architectural and Archaeological Research Database (SHAARD)" (Searchable database). Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology. Retrieved 2015-07-01. Note: This includes Creager Smith (July 1997). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Pennsylvania Railroad Station" (PDF). Retrieved 2015-07-01. and Accompanying photographs
  4. ↑ Sanders (2006), 24–25.
  5. ↑ "Banquet Facility". Baker Street Train Station. Retrieved 2013-06-18.
  6. ↑ Caylor, Bob (2009-04-04). "Rally for Fort Wayne train service draws hundreds". The News-Sentinel. Retrieved 2013-06-18.
  7. ↑ "Fort Wayne Local Historic Districts". Architecture and Community Heritage (ARCH). Retrieved 2013-06-18.
Preceding station   Pennsylvania Railroad   Following station
Arcola
toward Chicago
Main Line
Monroeville
Huntertown
toward Mackinaw City
Mackinaw City – Richmond
Hoagland
toward Richmond


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