Georgia Railroad Freight Depot

Georgia Railroad Freight Depot. An Enduring Symbol of Atlanta. This building, completed in 1869 and renovated in 1981, stands on the site of the first Georgia Railroad Freight Depot, one of the major railroad structures in downtown Atlanta during the Civil War. In 1860 Atlanta was Georgia's 4th largest city, with fewer than 10,000 residents. Yet Atlanta was the state's most important transportation hub. From Atlanta the Georgia Railroad went east to Augusta, the Western and Atlantic Railroad ran north to Chattanooga, the Macon and Western Railroad headed south to Macon and the Atlanta and West Point Railroad traveled southwest to Montgomery. In this area of downtown all four railroads converged. Travelers moving from one line to another did so at the huge passenger depot called the “Car Shed.” In the several surrounding blocks the railroads had their locomotive roundhouses and freight depots. Warehoused goods were stored for loading onto other lines.

During the Civil War, Atlanta became a major manufacturing center for military supplies. The Confederate government leased numerous warehouses for storage and the railroads transported these vital supplies to the Southern armies.

After the armies of Union Major General William T. Sherman captured Atlanta on September 2, 1864, they occupied the city for more than two months. On November 7th Sherman directed his engineers to demolish all munitions factories and railroad facilities. Federal soldiers destroyed locomotives and cars, wrecked machine shops, tore down warehouses and punched the Car Shed with a special battering ram. On November 15th they began setting fire to other structures. Many downtown stores, hotels and the concert hall were all burned.

Following the Federal army's departure from Atlanta on November 15th and 16th on their “March to the Sea” a Confederate military report noted, “The car shed, the depots, the machine shops, foundries, rolling mills, merchant mills, arsenals, laboratory, armory, etc., were all burned.” Most private homes and churches escaped the flames although some were destroyed during the preceding months fighting.

One end of this second Georgia Railroad Freight Depot was originally three stories high with a cupola. Fire destroyed that portion in 1935. Built of brick with Stone Mountain granite and a Polk County roof, it is 50 feet wide with its length including 54 feet of office space and 224 feet as the freight warehouse room. It is among the oldest buildings in downtown Atlanta.