Opened in 1899, the depot was constructed in the beaux-arts style, though the design was undoubtedly influenced by the aesthetic of the southwest. The two-story rectangular building is constructed of bright red brick and detailed with white limestone. Fine details can be found on both the exterior and interior, including several lion heads that surround the building, and attractive plaster design work surrounding the inside archway.

Early view of the depot’s exterior, featuring some details that are a bit different today. Photo via Fort Worth Gazette.

Built for the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway, the building was generally known as the Santa Fe depot. Several other railroads had used the building, but by 1960 the Santa Fe was the only railroad that remained. Once Amtrak was formed, it was the sole user for passenger service up until 1995.

After falling into disuse and disrepair, the depot was purchased by Shirlee and Taylor Gandy who set about transforming it into the venue it is today. The depot’s tin roof, marble flooring, and plaster detailing are all original and were lovingly cleaned and restored. The stained glass windows – undoubtedly the depot’s most iconic feature – are also original. Expecting the demolishment of the building, these windows had been removed many years prior, and were found – intact, but dirty – in a warehouse. After about 18 months worth of delicate restoration, the stained glass windows were brought back home and reinstalled.

Interior view of the station. Courtesy of Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries.

Though so much rail infrastructure has been lost over the years, it is good to know that there still are people that will step up and save historical buildings such as these. If anything, the Santa Fe Depot is a poster child for adaptive reuse – how we can still save our heritage, while simultaneously turning it into a profitable venture. The Ashton Depot is busy with multiple events each week, whether they be in-house or outside. For those who choose to hold their events elsewhere, the depot also contains a catering service. Not only does the Ashton Depot employ a chef, he even has a garden located outside in the former track bed – so it is not just the old building that has been reused.

Here are a few photos from my tour of the depot – if you ever happen to be in the Fort Worth area, make sure you check out this little gem. Special thanks goes to the folks at the Ashton Depot, especially Ashlee Jung and Cindy Vazquez for arranging a little tour for me to take most of these photos.

                              

This time I thought it would be fun to take a tour of the country through railroad art. There are countless examples of awesome posters and ads, but these are some of my favorites. Perhaps it will even give you some ideas on places to travel this year.

Maybe a nice shorter trip will be in order? Cape Cod, New England, Atlantic City and even Washington DC are all possibilities. Artist Sascha Maurer designed for both the New Haven and the Pennsylvania Railroads. The New England and the Atlantic City art below was designed by Maurer. Ben Nason also designed an array of posters for the New Haven Railroad, including the Cape Cod poster below.

  
  

Maybe you’d like to travel to a different city, a litter further away? Maybe you should visit Cincinnati!

Despite the fact that I’m not a big fan of the Pennsy, you it is impossible to not love this poster by Mitchell Markovitz.

Chicago is always a lovely place to visit!
  

Did I say tour the country? I lied. Maybe a visit to Canada is in order?
 

Now who doesn’t love a nice trip to America’s National Parks, the Pacific Northwest, or even California? Maurice Logan, William and Kenneth Willmarth designed some of these lovely views of the western United States.
   
  
  

Maybe a nice jaunt to the southwest? Artists Don Perceval and Oscar Bryn created these lovely posters for the Santa Fe.
   

Are mountains more your thing? Austrian artist Gustav Krollmann worked on these lovely designs…
 

Oh forget it, let’s just go everywhere! The awesome Amtrak posters designed by illustrator David Klein in 1973 make me want to see the entire country. Klein has a large body of work that is travel-themed, stretched over his entire career. His most known works were for Trans World Airlines, but he also produced work for Holland America Cruises and travel website Orbitz. Klein’s undeniably gorgeous work made railroads once again appear glamorous, just as they were in yesteryear.

 
  

Now that we’ve traveled around the country through railroad art, are you planning to take a vacation to some interesting locale? Are you going to go by train? Let us know in the comments!