The Bonne Terre Depot located at Oak Street was constructed in 1909 in Bonne Terre, Missouri (St. Francois County). It's also known as the Mississippi River and Bonne Terre Railway Depot which is the building's historic name.
This two-and-a-half story frame building carries the Queen Anne/Stick-style type of architecture. One interesting feature was the conical-roofed tower. Interestingly, this building has been renovated into a bed and breakfast inn.
The Bonne Terre Depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 5, 1984.
The depot
The depot is surrounded by remnants of what was a large trainyard. The building faces northwest on the edge of the town of Bonne Terre. This isn't your standard depot.
At some point, electricity was added and a small bathroom inside. Entering into the lobby took passengers into two waiting rooms and ticket area. You could reach the second floor from the outside to reach the railroad line offices and a local telegraph office.
The third floor was reachable from a stairway on the second floor. It was unfinished at the time the building was nominated for the National Register. There's also a partial basement.
The importance of this building is linked to its relationship with the lead mining and transportation industries. Also, the design of the building is somewhat unique. A lot of depots in small towns generally were rectangular shaped buildings with very little details, if any. The depot was built by the St. Joe Lead Company carpenters. It replaced a depot built in 1898 that burned.
The depot today
In 1989, the depot was purchased by Doug and Catherine Goergens and they took on the task of restoring the building as well as converting it into a bed & breakfast inn named The 1909 Depot.
Aside from suites on the second floor, there are also two converted rail cars that include a private bath. The rates per night are reasonably priced. If you're a fan of historic depots or trains, you might enjoy a stay here.
Thanks for reading!
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