
This Beaux-Arts classical building of reddish-brown brick and dark red terra-cotta trim by San Antonio architect Phelps conveys an imperial presence. By the time of the station’s completion, the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway Company operated almost 1,500 miles of track in Texas, and Denison had developed into one of the main rail portals into the state. An overscaled Roman arch overlooks the exterior plaza on the west, marking the building’s grand entrance and the two-story concourse within. The building’s three-story central block faces the tracks on the east and is flanked by two lower wings that housed the railroad offices on the second floor. Additional offices and warehouse functions were contained in a two-story wing to the north that parallels the tracks. The urban monumentality of the depot would be appropriate for a much larger city but obviously represents the importance of Denison as a transportation center.