Columbia in Maury County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Union Station Train Depot

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 6, 2020

1. Union Station Train Depot Marker

Inscription.

Columbia's Union Station Train Depot was built in 1902 by the Louisville & Nashville Railroad and opened in November 1903. Designed in a vernacular Romanesque style, it is one of the city's most imposing landmarks. The two-story brick and stone structure was built with a highly decorated interior that featured paneled oak wainscoting, molded chair rails, paneled beam ceilings embellished with plaster rosettes, ornamental window surrounds, decorative tile floors with Greek key borders, and marble baseboards.

Reverse
This, Columbia's third depot, was built at a cost of $200,000. In the early 20th century during its heyday, the Union Station Train Depot was the center of passenger travel as well as freight and mail shipping. It serviced both steam and diesel-powered locomotives. It was the embarkation point for soldiers heading to war, and visitors included President William Howard Taft, General John Pershing, and Buffalo Bill. The last passenger train left Columbia's Union Station on December 7, 1954. The depot was sold by the railroad in 1986 into private ownership.

Erected by City of Columbia, Tennessee.

Topics and series.

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This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #27 William Howard Taft series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1902.

Location. 35° 36.499′ N, 87° 2.258′ W. Marker is in Columbia, Tennessee, in Maury County. It is on Depot Street east of South High Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 211 Depot Street, Columbia TN 38401, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Middle Tennessee

and in Greater Nashville.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Columbia Fire Department (approx. ¼ mile away); Life in the Shadows of Freedom (approx.

Union Station Train Depot Marker reverse image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 6, 2020

2. Union Station Train Depot Marker reverse

0.4 miles away); A Legacy of Justice (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Defendants of 1946 (approx. 0.4 miles away); A Turning Point (approx. 0.4 miles away); College Hill High School (approx. 0.4 miles away); Memorial to Black Maury County Citizens (approx. 0.4 miles away); 1946 Columbia Race Riot / A.J. Morton Funeral Home (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Columbia.

Union Station Train Depot and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 6, 2020

3. Union Station Train Depot and Marker

Union Station Train Depot (front view) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 6, 2020

4. Union Station Train Depot (front view)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 10, 2020. It was originally submitted on June 10, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 1,260 times since then and 97 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 10, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.