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Kalamazoo Transportation Center (Kalamazoo Station of the Michigan Central Railroad)

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Kalamazoo Station of the Michigan Central Railroad
1887, Cyrus L. W. Eidlitz; 2005 interior rehabilitation, Kingscott Associates; 2005 addition, Wendell-Duscherer. 459 N. Burdick St.
  • Kalamazoo Transportation Center (Kalamazoo Station of MI Central Railroad) (Roger Funk)

The Michigan Central Railroad Station illustrates the centrality of Michigan's railroad system to the state's predominantly urban and industrial economy. Architecturally, it tells of the widespread popularity of Richardsonian Romanesque. The station utilizes massive round arches, a conical turret, rusticated red Lake Superior sandstone, and a heavy red tile roof with generous overhanging eaves to serve its well-proportioned monumentality. It is a counterpart in a medium-size midwestern city to H. H. Richardson's railroad depots of the early 1880s in small towns in Massachusetts—South Framingham, North Easton, Auburndale. The station was designed by New York City architect Cyrus L. W. Eidlitz, who was the son of architect Leopold Eidlitz. The younger Eidlitz also designed the Michigan Central Railroad Station (1883; 1913 destroyed by fire) in Detroit and the Dearborn Station (c. 1881) in Chicago. The Kalamazoo station now serves as an intermodal transportation complex for the city with a new plaza, parking, and bays for twenty buses.

Writing Credits

Author: 
Kathryn Bishop Eckert

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