Hope Visitor Center and Museum (Missouri Pacific Depot)

The Missouri Pacific Railroad constructed this single-story red brick depot after it had acquired the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad in an ambitious campaign to expand its lines. Here the separate passenger and freight sections are divided by an open breezeway and united by a gable end roof. The dominant, low-pitched tile roof with exposed rafters and huge brackets lining the deep eaves are elements of the Missouri Pacific’s version of the Mediterranean style, a design chosen for all their depots in an effort to establish a corporate identity. The Missouri Pacific was for many years the largest and most important railroad in the state. Its main line extended from St. Louis as far southwest as Laredo, Texas. Today, as a visitor center and museum, the depot displays memorabilia from the railroad, the history of Hope, and the accomplishments of former president Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary Clinton. Since there is no public square in Hope, and the courthouse is located a few blocks away in a residential neighborhood, this depot, which often accommodates busloads of tourists, seems to be the center of town.