The Perris Depot
History of the depot
Built of red brick, the 1892 Santa Fe
Railway depot in Perris is a classic example of High Victorian style.
Built in the Queen Anne architectural style, the depot is still on its original site,
substantially unchanged from its original design and construction.
The property now occupied by the depot was deeded to the California Southern
Railroad (predecessor to the Santa Fe Railway) on February 12, 1886 by T.J. Fording, one of the the group of San Bernardino businessmen who financed the founding of the town of Perris.
It took another six years before the new depot was completed and presented to the railroad company in 1892. Originally intended to be an important stop on a major transcontinental line, this changed before its completion. Floods had several times washed out many miles of line southward toward San Diego. With the elimination of service to Elsinore and Temecula through Railroad Canyon, the distinction of Perris as a junction point also ended.
Restoration nearing completion, 2008
However, a branch line to Hemet opened in 1888, and the depot served as a transfer facility. In 1910, underground water was discovered and developed. Cultivation of alfalfa became a major commodity of the valley, and the depot and railroad became the focus of intense activity. World War II also saw more railroad activity at the depot. But, after the war, in 1947 passenger service ended. The coming of imported Colorado River water in 1953 and the introduction of White Rose potatoes revived railroad traffic once again.
As water for irrigation became increasingly more expensive, the cultivation of potatoes declined. This contributed to the closing of the Perris Depot as the Santa Fe freight agency in 1969. The depot structure was given to the Orange Empire Railway Museum for historic preservation.
It continues to serve the City of Perris as a cultural center, serving not
only as a functional railway station for trains to the OERM museum site,
but also housing the Perris Valley Historical and Museum Association
(PVH&MA)
and its collection of local history artifacts.
The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in
1994.
Surviving the unpredictable changes during the depot's 100-year history are the names of the leading mercantile houses which existed in the early days of Perris. Written in lampblack, these pioneer family names can still be seen on the freight house walls, indicating the location where all freight for that business was to be left.
History courtesy of the PVH&MA
Click here for a pdf copy of "Perris and Its Railroad", by Richard Dodge, a 1959 history of the California Southern Railroad.
Restoration 2007-08
In 2001, OERM and the City of Perris were awarded a $431,000 TEA-21 transportation enhancement grant to perform seismic stabilization, roof repairs and other upgrades. In 2002, the PVH&MA moved out in anticipation of the restoration process beginning. Unfortunately, the time consuming nature of the grant implementation process delayed the work well beyond its originally anticipated start date. Meanwhile, plans to extend the region's popular Metrolink commuter rail service were finalized and funded, adding new focus on the opportunities at the depot site. A Metrolink station and transit center would now be built adjacent to the depot, offering opportunities for transit oriented development projects as well.
In 2007, the City of Perris and OERM forged an historic partnership to expand the project beyond its original limited restoration scope and create a true downtown cultural icon. The Museum signed title of the building over to the City in exchange for a 99-year lease, and the City approved $1.5M in additional restoration funds (beyond the original federal grant) that would transform the building into a true community icon.
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Operator's bay, before and after restoration. This section of the building had suffered badly over the years from a leaking roof. |
Freight Room floor removed for foundation work, June 2007 | Restored freight room, original floor reinstalled and scale restored, 3/08 | |
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| Roof rebuild underway June, 2007. The building eaves were also completely rebuilt. | Project manager Dave Stuart, June 2007 | Baggage room floor removed for foundation work June 2007 | |
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August 2007, new roofing being added, cupola rebuild underway, framing to re-establish the historic freight dock is now in place |
To preserve the appearance of the ceiling in the open freight room, the original shingles were left in place in this area |
New shingles being installed, October 2007. Note the recreated chimney. |
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The restoration of the building was substantially completed in early 2008, and work is presently underway on landscaping and other access improvements. The PVH&MA is anticipated to begin re-establishing their exhibit presence in the building in the near future.
Historic Images
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| Circa 1892 | 1950s | ||
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Links:
Perris Valley Historical & Museum Association
California Southern Railway History
Santa Fe Trains in Hemet web pages
WRCOG Perris Metrolink Station Area Study
WRCOG web page on Depot Renovation Project
Surviving Santa Fe Depots, California
4/10/07 Press Enterprise News Story on Depot Restoration
6/23/07 Press Enterprise News Story on Depot Restoration with video
