Augusta's Old Southern Railway Freight Depot

When I first saw the old freight depot in Augusta, what caught my attention was how much it reminded me of the vintage train station back home. Since... more

by Mark Tisdale

Title

Augusta's Old Southern Railway Freight Depot

Artist

Mark Tisdale

Medium

Photograph - Photo Art

Description

When I first saw the old freight depot in Augusta, what caught my attention was how much it reminded me of the vintage train station back home. Since then, I've seen that it was not an uncommon design for that time period from the late 19th into the early 20th century.

I love the long linear architecture and the old Queen Anne Style - it has a real presence in the heart of Augusta. Gone though are all the old train tracks and in fact a wing of the depot. I've seen a map that shows there was another leg to it making it an L and rows of railroad tracks would have run parallel to the long section of the depot remaining, where the trains waited to be loaded and unloaded. It always helps me, at least, to understand how a site used to work.

I'm just glad Augusta has preserved a beautiful if humble little piece of its past. There were apparently a number of other depots and stations in town that have made way for other construction. And it is always a delicate balancing act, saving some of the past while still having a city that works for the people who live there today.

Uploaded

October 11th, 2013