Salt Lake City Union Pacific Depot
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The Salt Lake City Union Pacific Depot is a spacious building on the western edge of downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. Built from 1908 to 1909, it harkens back to a more prosperous era in the history of American railroad travel.
Originally constructed by the Oregon Short Line, it served that railroad and the San Pedro-Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad when it was completed in 1909. Both railroads became wholly owned by Union Pacific in the 1910s. Thus, the "Union Pacific" shield has graced the depot for most of its history.
The sandstone building is constructed in French renaissance-style architecture and includes a tessera marble floor and stained glass windows. One ceiling mural by San Francisco artist Harry Hopp depicts the driving of the Golden Spike north of Salt Lake City at "Promontory Point" signifying the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869. Another mural by San Francisco artist John McQuarrie shows the 1847 arrival of Mormon pioneers to what is now Salt Lake City.
Several side rooms were originally used for separate male and female waiting areas. The depot once housed an emergency hospital, lunch room, baggage rooms, and offices for both of the original railroads. Most of these features are gone now, but the building was extensively renovated in the 1970s to repair damage. Additionally, the original slate roof was replaced by copper plates due to leaking problems.
The main lobby and some other areas are now used by Amtrak. However, most of the building is not used for its original purpose due to the marked decrease in rail travel over the last century. Union Pacific now uses some of the space for offices and training areas.
External link
- Historical background of the Depot (http://www.boyercompany.com/gateway/up-depot.pdf)