| Additional Information: | Additional Information, 2025:
Architecture, Main Building
The main building of the Darlington Depot is a one-story structure topped with a gable roof with wide overhanging eaves supported by large knee-brace brackets. The walls are clad with clapboards, but the south end gable peak is clad with board and batten siding. In between the board and batten siding and the clapboards is a large trim board in a sawtooth pattern. This treatment is also used as a cornice on the east and west side walls. The north end wall is totally covered with clapboards as this was the wall that was constructed when the two parts of the depot were disconnected in 1956. The main entrance of the building is in the east elevation and is covered with a wood paneled door with a transom. Except for the north end wall, window openings are similar, filled with two-over-two-light double-hung sashes. On the north end wall there is a large opening covered with a modern garage-style door.
The interior of the main depot building has two sections, a “renovated” section and an older “storage” section that still has some original materials. The renovated part of the depot features wallboard covering the walls and ceilings, possibly covering up older vertical bead boards. This section of the depot has wood floors, the original ticket window, and fluted trim around doors and windows with bull’s eye blocks. Alterations to the building include some changes to the floorplan with the railroad office moved into what was originally the ladies waiting room and a bathroom area added. In the “storage” section of the depot, there is wood flooring and wood trim around doors and windows like that in the “renovated” section of the building, but the walls and ceilings have vertical bead board paneling, probably original.
The old freight house section of the original building is attached to the main depot via a wood-constructed walkway with a wood balustrade of plain posts. The freight house section is similar to the depot with clapboard walls, board and batten trim, and a decorative sawtooth shaped trim board. The openings are different and appear to be original to the building when it was attached to the main depot. They include a north end opening that is covered with a garage style door and an east elevation opening that is covered with an original wood paneled door and transom. A similar large door is in the south elevation. A smaller door on the west elevation is covered with clapboards and has a transom. The interior of the building is unfinished with no walls or ceilings.
Also on the property, on the side of the depot building is a section of railroad siding and a restored 1937 Missouri Pacific railroad line caboose, acquired in 2023. The caboose was restored as a Missouri Pacific railroad caboose, but it was given a paint job of Milwaukee Road colors and logos to reflect the line that traveled through Darlington.
History
The railroad came to Darlington in 1856 and was eventually part of the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad (The Milwaukee Road) system in Wisconsin. The CM&StPaul built a new depot in 1889. At the time, noted architect, J. T. W. Jennings was working for the railroad. He designed a depot that was later scaled down. It included the depot on the site today and the old freight house that was removed from the building in 1956. The depot between 1889 and 1956 included waiting rooms, an office, baggage, and freight rooms. The current bay window and restrooms were added later to the depot along with combining the waiting rooms into one large room. When passenger service was discontinued to Darlington in 1956, about one-third of the depot, the freight section, was removed from the building and moved about 250 feet to the north. It was used as a warehouse. In 1997, the warehouse was moved back to the depot, but the buildings could not be reattached due to the existence of a new water main.
Carol Cartwright, 2025
A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the State Historical Society, Division of Historic Preservation. FOR THE DARLINGTON DEPOT. THIS FRAME, WEATHERED STRUCTURE HAS A SLOPING ROOF WITH BRACKETS OR PURLINS VISUALLY SUPPORTING THE BROAD OVERHANG OF THE ROOF. VERTICAL BOARDS IN THE GABLE END AND HORIZONTAL BOARDS ON THE LOWER HALF OF THE STRUCTURE VISUALLY DEFINE THE STRUCTURE OF THE BUILDING. THE PASSENGER ENTRANCE IS ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF THE DEPOT AND A DOUBLE DOORED ENTRANCE LEADS TO THE FREIGHT STATION ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE. THIS RAILROAD STRUCTURE IS ARCHITECTURALLY SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT IS ONE OF A FEW REMAINING REPRESENTATIVES OF SMALL TOWN RAILROAD DEPOTS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO THE 19TH CENTURY ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY OF THE COMMUNITY. IN ADDITION, IT IS THE ONLY BUILDING CONNECTED WITH THE RAILROAD IN DARLINGTON THAT HAS RETAINED ITS ORIGINAL CHARACTER. THE CHICAGO, MILWAUKEE AND ST. PAUL RAILROAD DEPOT IS HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT TO THE COMMERCIAL AND TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT OF DARLINGTON. AS A RAILROAD DEPOT, IT IS HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT INITIALLY TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF DARLINGTON'S TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM. THE MINERAL POINT RAILROAD WAS BUILT THROUGH DARLINGTON IN 1856. THIS EVENT PRACTICALLY GUARANTEED DARLINGTON'S GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT AS A CENTER FOR THE SURROUNDING AGRICULTURAL AND MINING AREA. THIS IS THE SECOND DEPOT TO BE BUILT. THE FIRST RAILROAD STATION WAS LOCATED FARTHER NORTH AWAY FROM THE DOWNTOWN. THE RAILROAD WAS SIGNIFICANT TO THE GROWTH OF DARLINGTON'S COMMERCIAL DISTRICT. THIS DEPOT, WHICH WAS LOCATED NEARER THE DOWNTOWN, SERVED THE MERCHANTS AS A DELIVERY POINT FOR GOODS BROUGHT IN FROM CHICAGO AND ELSEWHERE. Between 1889 and 1895 the building was cut in two and moved to its present location. The building in negative 4/25 is the southern half of the building. The northern half is nearby. THE WAREHOUSES AND OTHER STORAGE BUILDINGS THAT WERE LOCATED NEARBY ALLOWED A LARGE AMOUNT OF GRAIN TO BE SHIPPED OUT. DARLINGTON BECAME A MAJOR SHIPPING POINT FOR LIVESTOCK AND OTHER AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. |
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| Bibliographic References: | ARGYLE AGENDA 6/26/1996.
SANBORN MAPS 1889, 1894.
1874 PLAT MAP.
C.W. BUTTERFIELD, HISTORY OF LAFAYETTE COUNTY, 1881, P. 526.
Take a Walk on Main Street: Historic Walking Tours in Wisconsin's Main Street Communities, Wisconsin Main Street Program, 1998. |
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