Delray Beach station (Seaboard Air Line Railroad)

Delray Beach, FL
inter-city rail station
A view of the station from 2011, prior to the fire that largely destroyed it in 2020.
General information
LocationDepot Avenue, Delray Beach, Florida
USA
History
ClosedApril 2, 1995[1]
Key dates
May 2, 1991Tri-Rail service ends[2]
February 25, 2020Heavily damaged by arson
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Deerfield Beach
toward Miami
 Floridian West Palm Beach
toward Chicago
Preceding station Tri-Rail Following station
Boca Raton
toward Miami Airport
 Tri-Rail Boynton Beach
toward West Palm Beach
Preceding station Seaboard Air Line Railroad Following station
Deerfield Beach
toward Miami
 Main Line Boynton Beach
toward Richmond
Delray Beach Seaboard Air Line Railway Station
West view of the old station
Delray Beach station (Seaboard Air Line Railroad) is located in Florida
Delray Beach station (Seaboard Air Line Railroad)
Delray Beach station (Seaboard Air Line Railroad) is located in the United States
Delray Beach station (Seaboard Air Line Railroad)
LocationDelray Beach, Florida,  United States
Coordinates26°27′49″N 80°5′27″W / 26.46361°N 80.09083°W / 26.46361; -80.09083
Built1927
ArchitectGustav Maass
Architectural styleMediterranean Revival
NRHP reference No.86002172[3]
Added to NRHPSeptember 4, 1986

The Delray Beach Seaboard Air Line Railway Station (also known as the Delray Beach Railroad Station) is a historic Seaboard Air Line Railway depot in Delray Beach, Florida, United States. The station is located at 1525 West Atlantic Avenue.

Constructed in 1927 and designed by Gustav Maass of the West Palm Beach architectural firm of Harvey & Clarke, it is identical to the Homestead Seaboard station further south, with the sole exception of its use of plain stucco rather than corinthian arches. In addition, the northern end of the station containing what was the freight room has been modified and enlarged since its original construction. The station was also identical to the Boynton Beach Seaboard depot just to the north, the destruction of which was authorized by the city of Boynton Beach in 2006 despite its historic nature.[4]

Amtrak continued passenger service to the station after taking over the Seaboard Silver Meteor and Silver Star routes in 1971. Tri-Rail began commuter rail service to the station in 1989, but in 1991 moved to a new Delray Beach station a few blocks south because of legal squabbles with the then-owner of the Seaboard station and poor access.[5] Passenger service to the station halted completely in 1995 when Amtrak began using the Tri-Rail station as its Delray Beach stop.[5]

The station was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on September 4, 1986, and purchased by the city of Delray Beach in 2005 for $1.6 million.

The station depot after the fire of February 25, 2020

On February 25, 2020, the station was largely destroyed by arson, and it was not known at the time if the city of Delray Beach would continue with the restoration.[6] After sitting vacant and abandoned for almost a year, in January 2021 the city announced a $2.6 million plan to fully restore the building with plans to move the city's Health and Wellness Center and Department of Human Resources to the restored structure once work is complete.[7]

[edit]
  • Southwest view
    Southwest view
  • North view
    North view
  • East view
    East view

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Morrissey, Siobhan (April 2, 1995). "Last Train Leaves Delray Depot". The Palm Beach Post. p. 2B. Retrieved June 28, 2019 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ^ "Tri-Rail Station Closes". The Sun-Sentinel. May 3, 1991. p. 17. Retrieved June 28, 2019 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  4. ^ Pesantes, Erika (June 14, 2007). "Angry neighborhood challenges City Hall". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved May 12, 2011.
  5. ^ a b Becker, Lara (December 11, 1996). "New Life Envisioned For Railway Depot". Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on August 26, 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
  6. ^ Roustan, Wayne K. (February 25, 2020). "Four teens face arson charges for fire at historic South Florida train station". The South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  7. ^ Diamond, Mike. "After fire nearly destroyed historic Delray train depot, city rolls out restoration plan". palmbeachpost.com. The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
[edit]
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