Historic Structures

Southern Pacific Railroad Train Depot, San Carlos California

In 1887, the San Carlos Land Company was formed to finance the development of their speculative townsite west of the Southern Pacific Railroad. The company erected the depot as their first permanent building, as an inducement to prospective buyers. In June 1888, the railroad laid a 1,200 foot long spur track at the depot site for the unloading of building stone, to be shipped by rail from San Jose. By July, the first material had begun to arrive, and construction commenced in August 1888, undertaken by masons and laborers who had been working on the construction of nearby Stanford University. That same month, the San Mateo County Times and Gazette published the following account of the project.

Monongahela Railway Train Repair Shops, Brownsville Pennsylvania

In the thirty years following its formation in 1900, the Monongahela Railway had grown into one of the nation's largest coal carrying railroads. Its lines by that date covered much of the eastern portion of the Pittsburgh coal bed and its daily operations required the services of 69 locomotives. While its total main track mileage had more than tripled between 1905 and 1930, the value of its assets, in current dollars, had increased by almost ten-fold. This dramatic growth reflected the investment by the Monongahela in not just rail lines and a fleet of locomotives but in extensive yard and shop facilities which supported its operations. These facilities were concentrated at the Monongahela's three principle termini: South Brownsville,Pennsylvania, Osage, West Virginia, and Fairmont, West Virginia. While the shops at Fairmont and Osage included small repair and maintenance facilities, the yard and shops at South Brownsville were by far the most comprehensive. The original yard and shops of the Monongahela Railroad were a simple arrangement of facilities constructed according to a plan approved by the company's board of directors on July 2, 1903. These facilities, constructed between 1903 and 1906 at South Brownsville, Pennsylvania, stood between the Monongahela's main trackage and the Monongahela River, and included an ash pit and engine house, a car shop, a blacksmith's shop, a sand house, several water stations, and an assortment of small sheds. The purpose of these shops was to service, maintain, and conduct minor repairs on the Monongahela's fleet of coal burning steam locomotives.

Livermore Truss Bridge, Wilton New Hampshire

The Livermore Bridge is the only known example of a timber, half-through, pony lattice truss in North America. Crossing Blood Brook at an almost north-south axis, the 52' -3 long bridge, measured from outside edge to outside edge of the truss siding, forms a dangerous T intersection with State Route 101. The abutments are irregular granite blocks. Granite faced concrete wings dating to the 1990s project from the old abutments and support the bottom chords. A dry-masonry ramp made of mid-sized granite boulders supports the Russell Hill approach. The approximate dimensions of the truss sheathing, exclusive of the galvanized standing seam roof covering, are 8'-l 1 x 2'-3-l/2. Because the standing seam metal roof and the vertical siding both protect and conceal the top chords, it is not possible to determine if the top chords are identical to the four 3 x 12 bottom chords. Lattice members are 3 x 10 with two 2 diameter trunnels per web intersection. Three trunnels secure the connections at the bottom chord. A distinctive feature of the bridge is the middle chord, consisting of two 14-3/4 -15-3/4 x 3 planks that support 6 x 12 x 20' deck beams. Numerous close, but unevenly spaced, 3 thick stringers support the 16'-1 long deck planking. The two systems, namely knee braces and lower-lateral bracing stabilize the structure against racking and horizontal sway. Knee braces, with bird's mouth notches on one end to accommodate the bottom chord and toe nailed into the deck beams on the other end, are approximately 3 x 6 or a bit smaller. The lateral bracing system is made of 1 diameter wrought-iron rods with forged eyes and rings.

Jefferson Hotel, Richmond Virginia

Throughout its early history the Jefferson Hotel was the only place to stay for any important person visiting Richmond. Notable guests included Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, General John J. Pershing, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Charles A. Lindbergh, William McKinley, and Calvin Coolidge. The Jefferson Hotel has also been the scene of many important Richmond social events.

Kimball Castle, Gilford New Hampshire

As a boy in Penacook, N.H., Benjamin A. Kimball (1833-1920) early showed an interest in mechanics. In his teens, he studied the building and operation of locomotives. So, it was not surprising, that after graduating from Dartmouth in 1854, Kimball went to work in the shops of the Concord Railroad. After two years as a draftsman, he became superintendent of the locomotive department. By the age of 26, Kimball was the railroad's master mechanic and a designer of locomotives. In 1865, he resigned to help found the firm of Ford & Kimball. This Concord, N.H., firm manufactured railroad car wheels, and other brass and iron products. Kimball prospered financially and socially. He served on the boards of banks, utilities, his college, other businesses and institutions. . He was elected to the state legislature and the Governor's Council. But his chief interest was still railroads. In 1879, he returned to the Concord RR as a director. This was the period of railroad consolidation in New England and Kimball was a leading figure in that-movement. He is credited with arranging the 1889 merger of the Concord RR with the Boston, Concord & Montreal RR. The resulting Concord & Montreal RR was until its absorption into the Boston & Maine RR system, the dominant railroad in New Hampshire. During the years in which Kimball guided-its affairs, the Concord & Montreal RR improved-its equipment and facilities, built new branch lines, and promoted tourist travel in the White Mountains and the Lakes Region. (Kimball served as its president from 1895 until the takeover by the B&M RR in 1919) Benjamin A. Kimball was, in his last years, the most important railroad man in the state. Because of his leadership, the New Hampshire railroads became a coordinated and flourishing system. His career well represented the heyday of the railroad in New Hampshire and New England. One subsidiary line of the Concord & Montreal RR was the Lake Shore RR built in 1890 from Lakeport to Alton Bay along the south shore of Lake Winnipesaukee. Two years later, the Kimballs bought their first parcel of land on Locke's Hill near the Belknap Point station of the Lake Shore RR. In 1891, construction of Kimball Castle began on this hillside site, which commanded what was regarded as perhaps the finest view in the region. It would be Benjamin Kimball's summer home until his death. (Indeed, Kimball died in his Castle on July 25, 1920.) A biographer noted that Mr. Kimball and his family divided- quite equally their time between their Concord winter home and their Gilford summer-residence.

Bath Covered Bridge, Bath New Hampshire

Bath, New Hampshire was already a small industrial center in the 1790s before there was any bridge. The town voted in November 1793 to bridge the Ammonoosuc River over the mill-pond above Mr. Sargent's and Esq. Hurd's mills. Built in 1794, the cost was still given in the British system as 110 pounds total, which equaled $366.66. It lasted until taken out by an ice jam, but the town voted in 1806 to replace it, and this time the cost was quoted in American dollars at $1,000. A third bridge, built in 1820, was washed out in February 1824 and again replaced. By 1827, repairs were already needed, and Caleb Hunt was selected to supervise the project. The fate of this fourth bridge is unknown. A town meeting in March 1830 discussed rebuilding the bridge at Bath village, but postponed action, probably because of expenses just incurred during construction of the Bath-Haverhill Bridge at Woodsville. In March 1831, the town meeting returned to the question. Voters approved $1,400 to cover contracts for stonework that apparently had already been negotiated and decided to proceed with construction of the two abutments and two center piers. George Wetherell was chosen as town agent for the project, but most regrettably there is no record anywhere of the builder's name. The 1831 meeting also resulted in a vote to procure timber and have it delivered to the site over the upcoming winter. A special meeting later in the year on November 16 voted $400 more towards construction of the stonework; evidently construction was already in progress and the available funds had been used up.

Honeymoon Covered Bridge, Jackson New Hampshire

The Ellis River drains the southeastern flank of the Presidential Range and joins the Saco River near Glen, New Hampshire. Near the village of Jackson, the East Branch of the Ellis River, also known as the Wildcat River, hastens the Ellis on its journey. Even as late as 1894, about one half of the Town of Jackson was virgin forest. During the nineteenth century, the combination of the mountains, the forest and its hunting potential, and the Wildcat River's picturesque Jackson Falls offered escape and relief for an increasingly industrialized northeast. The first purpose-built hotel in Jackson opened in 1858. Despite its increasing prosperity, the town records are not entirely clear when the Ellis River was first crossed or even when the current covered bridge was built. The crossing is of some antiquity, but probably dates to some time after the town's incorporation in 1800 because there was access to the village from the southeast that did not require crossing the Ellis.

Sully Plantation, Chantilly Virginia

Originally patented by Captain Henry Lee of Westmoreland County, possibly in 1712 or at any rate by 1725. The estate was inherited by his son, Henry Lee of Leesylvania, who may have established quarters on the property. In his will; Henry Lee of Leesylvania left his land (then in Loudoun) to his sons, Richard Bland and Theoderick. The older, Richard Bland, selected the northern half, which became his Sully plantation. On February 1, l8ll Richard Bland Lee sold to his cousin, Francis Lightfoot Lee. Sully passed out of the Lee family in 1839. It was subsequently owned by two families from Dutchess County, New York, a circumstance worth recalling since it may have some bearing in the development of the unusual and engaging piazza. At the time the property was acquired by the Civil Aeronautics Authority, Sully was the home of Mr. Frederick Nolting of the State Department. On June 19, VJ9k9 Richard Bland Lee married Elizabeth Collins of Philadelphia and brought her to Sully. They spent their honeymoon in a large hewnlog house, dating from his bachelor days, but which disappeared about 1870. While the Lees were residing in the honeymoon cottage, Liza*s fa-feher made them a visit and penned a letter home to her mother casmenting upon the construction then nearing completion. A fragment which has been preserved merits quoting below: “

Snee Farm - Charles Pinckney House, Mount Pleasant South Carolina

Snee Farm was the plantation or country seat of lawyer, planter and noteworthy politician, Charles Pinckney (1757-1824). Pinckney is among the most influential and successful politicians in the history of South Carolina. He was elected twelve times to the state legislature, served four times as governor of the state, and as U.S. Minister to Spain (1801-05). Pinckney sat on the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention where, as a staunch Federalist, he rallied for a strong national government. He is perhaps best known as the author of the Pinckney Draught to the Constitution. Although there is some debate as to the full impact of this draught on the final document, at least thirty-one of Pinckney's provisions were accepted. Always at the vanguard of state politics, Pinckney's political views would later turn from Federalist to reform-minded, Jeffersonian Republican. He headed that movement in South Carolina, a strong supporter for state's rights. Although unquestionably influential, Charles Pinckney was also a controversial figure. He has been characterized as vain, extravagant and a bit of a ladies man. As the leader of the South Carolinian, Jeffersonian Republicans who sought to defeat the Federalist planter oligarchy (into which Pinckney himself was born) he was viewed by some as a traitor to his class. Yet, he stood undefeated in all elections and is known as one of the founders of the South Carolina political tradition. This is due in part to his enthusiasm for popular politics and aggressive pursuit of equality of opportunity. Towards these ends, while governor, Pinckney supported such issues as the creation of a public school system, the establishment of a State Board of Agriculture; construction of roads, lighthouses, and inland navigation; judicial reform and the repeal of property qualifications for suffrage. His leadership in South Carolina politics and his popular support are virtually without precedent, despite any controversy. As one biographer stated, Pinckney possessed that iridescent genius which offends some and dazzles others (Dictionary of American Biography, pg. 613).

Hudson and Manhattan Railroad Repair Shops, Hoboken New Jersey

The Hudson and Manhattan Railroad (H&M) Repair Shops were constructed in 1908 by the Hudson Companies, a subsidiary of the H&M Railroad Company organized in 1905 to manage their real estate properties. The H&M Repair Shops were believed to have been designed by Charles M. Jacobs (1850-1919), Chief Engineer of the H&M Railroad Company during its early years of operation. Jacobs, an expert on the design and engineering of railway tunnels, also designed the tunnels and terminals of the H&M Railroad Company. The most significant feature of the H&M Repair Shops was the rail car elevator constructed in 1907 above Track Three of the H&M Hoboken Terminal Station, about one year prior to the construction of the H&M Repair Shops building. The massive car elevator, cited as one of the largest elevators of its type in terms of size and lifting capacity, lowered the first rail cars into the H&M Tunnels. The elevator was used for rail car access to the tunnel to repair and service H&M Rail Cars until 1911 when the H&M constructed the Henderson Street Shops in Jersey City. The land at Hudson Street and Hudson Place was first leased in 1904 to the H&M Railroad Company from the Jersey City, Hoboken and Paterson Street Railway Company and the Public Service Corporation of New Jersey. This land was part of the Public Service right-of-way whose trolley tracks to the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Hoboken Terminal were located only several feet south. In 1906 this lease was modified to allow the H&M to construct an undersurface terminal beneath the lands of Public Service at the Hoboken Terminal, certain stairs, ramps and entrances and a portion of the lands of Public Service on the easterly side of Hudson Street with a frontage of 50 feet and a depth of 100 feet adjoining lands of the Lackawanna Railroad.

Bacons Castle, Surry County, Virginia

The fine old brick mansion in the lower part of the County, known as Bacon's Castle, was built by Arthur Allen, ancestor of the Claremont Aliens, in 1655, It was referred to as Allen's Brick House. During Bacon's Rebellion, Major William Bookings, Lieutenant Robert Burgess and Captain Arthur Long, followers of Bacon, seized this house of Allen's and made a fort of it. It was thereafter known as Bacon's Castle, Castle meaning fort.

Colorado & Southern Railway Denver Roundhouse, Denver Colorado

The formation of the Colorado & Southern Railway in 1898 had its roots in Che landmark railway consolidation which took place in Colorado nearly a decade earlier. That consolidation occurred on April 1, 1890 when the Union Pacific, Denver & Gulf Railway Company, a newly formed subsidiary of the Union Pacific, took control of twelve branch rail lines, including the Colorado Central, the Cheyenne & Northern, the Denver, Texas & Gulf, and the Denver, Texas & Fort Worth. The initial management of the UPD&G, however, failed to make the massive system profitable and the company went into receivership following the Silver Crash of 1893. These holdings ultimately passed into the capable hands of Frank Trumbull, who began a gradual rebuilding of the system. In December 1898, the UPD&G and the Denver, Leadville & Gunnison, another former Union Pacific subsidiary, were reorganized as the Colorado & Southern Railway. The merger of these two railroad giants created a system of over 1,000 miles, including standard and narrow gauge trackage. The new corporation, supported with a capital of $48,000,000, commenced operation under President Frank Trumbull on January 11, 1899.

Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad Maintenance Shops, Greenville Pennsylvania

Andrew Carnegie established the Pittsburgh, Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad Company in 1897 to carry iron ore from Conneaut, Ohio, on Lake Erie to Carnegie Steel Company plants in and around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Forming a link between his plants and the Great Lakes ore boats arriving in Conneaut from Minnesota's Missabe Iron Range, it was part of his plan to form a complete, vertically integrated steel company. The core of the PB&LE was formed by two small lines Carnegie absorbed: the Pittsburgh, Shenango & Lake Erie Railroad, and the Butler & Pittsburgh Railroad. The company was renamed the Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad in 1900. Carnegie Steel had an exclusive 999 year lease to the B&LE. This lease was acquired by United States Steel when that company acquired Carnegie Steel in 1901. The Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad became part of Transtar, Inc., in 1988, and subsequently a part of Great Lakes Transportation, LLC, in 2001. Since 2004, the Bessemer & Lake Erie has been operated as a unit of the Canadian National Railway. Iron ore remains the route's major freight commodity, although coal has always been a convenient backhaul to Conneaut. The Pittsburgh, Shenango & Lake Erie Railroad began construction of the Greenville, Pennsylvania, shops in 1893, but the largest portion of the complex was added in several stages by successor Bessemer & Lake Erie. The last major structure to be added was the Diesel Shop in 1951. Much of the steam-era facilities gradually fell into disuse after the road completely dieselized, but portions continued to house various support functions. The complex was redundant to Canadian National, and it has been largely abandoned in place since shortly after the merger. The turntable still sees service turning diesel locomotives when needed.

Mountain View House – Grand Resort, Whitefield New Hampshire

Southern Pacific Railroad Train Station, Brownsville Texas

The coming of the Southern Pacific Railroad to Brownsville on November 14, 1927, before the station was built, was perhaps the most significant event associated with the site. The Rio Grande Valley had enjoyed a spectacular growth from 1900 to 1930. This growth can be attributed to two factors—the introduction of irrigation in 1898, and the coming of the railroad in 1905. The Missouri Pacific Railroad had entered this area in 1905, and on May 11, 1925, the Interstate Commerce Commission granted permission for the Southern Pacific to acquire the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway, which held a charter into the Valley. The completion of the Southern Pacific to its southernmost point in Brownsville was a major event. The driving of the golden spike was scheduled to coincide with the first annual South Texas Chamber of Commerce Convention. The City of Brownsville staged a celebration when November 14 was declared Southern Pacific Day. In an issue of the Brownsville Herald carrying notices dated Nov. 1 (from Ankora, Turkey, on the Mustapha Kamal Pasha; from Belgrade, Jugoslavia, concerning suspension of telegraph and telephone censorship which had been instigated as the result of a Carolist plot; and a possible visit to Brownsville of Ruth Elder, American aviatrix), there appears Mayor A. B. Cole's PROCLAMATION which stated: “On November 14th- and 15th., the City of Brownsville will stage in connection with- the South- Texas Chamber of Commerce Convention a large celebration on the coming of the Southern Pacific Railroad to this city. We expect to have with us thousands of visitors, many of whom will be here for the first time.

Eagle Mountain House Hotel, Jackson New Hampshire

The Eagle Mountain House is located in the town of Jackson New Hampshire itself a flourishing resort community that spawned a number of hotels and boarding houses. Jackson developed as an artists' community in the 1840s in the wake of North Conway directly to the south. The town's nestled situation in a narrow valley was particularly scenic and the fact that it was nearer by several miles to Mount Washington than any other town in the region gave it an attractive advantage. As in most White Mountain communities artists and tourists were initially housed in farmhouses which operated as seasonal boarding houses. The first hotel in Jackson was the Jackson Falls House erected in 1858. The town's development was given a major boost in the 1850s with the completion of the Glen Railroad station three miles south. From there stages brought visitors to the town. Yet the railroad's distance ensured that the town remain tranquil and removed from much of the commercial development seen farther south. During the 1880s and 1890s Jackson found itself famous and fashionable. It had five large hotels two with casinos, and numerous boarding houses. Most of the hotels and boarding houses were clustered around the Triangle an open space in the village center. From there a trail led to the Eagle Mountain House the farthest removed from the village proper. The Jackson hotels suffered the same eventual demise as others in the region. Today the Eagle Mountain House is the only surviving hotel in the town that has remained in continuous operation. Like all large hotels of the era, the Eagle Mountain House was nearly self-sufficient. Its farm produced vegetables, dairy products and meat for guests. Ice was cut from Gale's Pond and sold throughout the village. A livery on the grounds accommodated horses and carriages, but a bigger attraction was no doubt the hotel garage, complete with attendants and automobile supplies for complete servicing. On-site entertainment was provided by the hotel orchestra which offered concerts and weekly dances. Flower beds and careful landscaping dotted the grounds. Outdoor recreational facilities included a golf course (laid out in 1931), tennis courts croquet courts, shuffleboard court, and fishing and swimming in the, nearby Wildcat River. By 1926 a bathing pool had been constructed. A deer family inhabited the grounds of the hotel, amusing porch loungers and diners. The hotel's major recreational asset, however, was its proximity to the White Mountains. Directly behind the hotel were endless hiking trails. During winter months the hotel was open for special parties, often groups of Appalachian Mountain Club members who snowshoed hiked and had outdoor cookouts and meetings here. The hotel management periodically hired a team of horses to go into Pinkham Notch and break a trail to the AMC huts.

Canal Street Transit Station, New Orleans Louisiana

Canal Station, located on Square 365 in New Orleans, Louisiana, witnessed the evolution of the New Orleans mass transit system from street railway to bus. The structure adjoins the thoroughfare that historically has been the most prominent commercial street in the city. The square, bounded by Canal, N. Dupre, Iberville (formerly Customhouse) and N. White streets, was purchased by the New Orleans City Railroad Company on June 20, I860 for the purpose of erecting a streetcar station in service to the firm's proposed Canal Street line. The Canal Street line was one of four planned by the private railroad company; these lines established the New Orleans City Railroad Company as a competitor in the city's transportation sector with the New Orleans and Carrollton Railroad Company. In March 1861, J.B. Slawson and N.P. Simmot of the New Orleans City Railroad Company contracted with John Pouge, a local builder, to erect a complex of structures on Square 365. Building 1 incorporates portions of the 1861 carbarn. The contract specified a completion date of May for the Canal Street carbarn and established a construction budget of $5,142.00. Other buildings at the Canal Street location that were itemized in the contract included a two-story dwelling house with a one-story kitchen, a stable, shops, and other support buildings.

Mount Washington Hotel, White Mountains, Bretton Woods New Hampshire

This finest of all White Mountain hotels opened to the public on August 1 , 1902. Numbered among its famous guests were Winston Churchill, Thomas Edison, Mary Pickford, and Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Warren G. Harding. Today it is a beautifully maintained hostelry operated for over 100 years in much the same style for a clientele that returns year after year.

The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel, Dixville Notch New Hampshire

Mission Brewery – American Agar Company, San Diego California

The Mission Brewery was built as brewery in 1912-1913 and opened in June 1913. The brewing industry was pioneered in San Diego by Austrian immigrants Mr. Doblar and Mr. Wedel who opened many local beer gardens following the opening of the first brewery in 1868. The San Diego Brewing Company was later founded in 1895 by men of German descent, and Gothic style breweries became popular in San Diego. The man who purchased the Mission Brewery site, block 182 of the Middletown Addition, in 1912, was August F. Lang, a German. The purchase was made in the name of the newly incorporated Bay City Brewing Company, for which Lang had served as president and secretary-treasurer in 1886. A druggist by trade, Lang had previously owned and operated a drug store in the Granger Building.