The Belleville Illinois Central Railroad Depot was built in 1888 as a “combination” depot, serving both passengers and freight. The railroads erected combination depots, typically using a standard plan, in numerous small and medium-sized communities across the United States between the 1880s and the 1930s. The Belleville Depot also represents the history of rail transportation in Belleville. The arrival of the Illinois Central Railroad sparked Belleville’s development as a regional center for shipping cheese, milk, and other agricultural products. Passenger service ended in 1931, and freight service was transferred to another location in 1943.

The Belleville Illinois Central Railroad Depot is set on a diagonal, parallel to the Badger State Bike Trail, which runs along the former bed of the Illinois Central Railroad just west of the depot. The depot is a long, cream brick building with segmental-arched windows and doorways. The gable roof has broad overhangs to shelter passengers and baggage from the rain, and is embellished with oversized wooden brackets. A polygonal bay on the rail side of the depot marks the ticket office, near the middle of the building. The polygonal bay allowed the agent to see trains arriving and departing without venturing outside. The baggage room is on the south side of the ticket office, and the waiting room is on the north side. A door on either end of the narrow, Pearl Street façade opens into the waiting room. Wood wainscoting and decorative window surrounds in the waiting room have been preserved.

The village of Belleville plans to rehabilitate the depot for use as a trail head on the Badger State Bike Trail.