Wheaton Historical Society and Depot Museum

Wheaton Historical Society Website

DESCRIPTION OF THE WHEATON DEPOT

Historic and current condition:

The Wheaton Depot is a one story wooden structure. It was built in 1908 by the Missouri and North Arkansas Railroad Co. The plans were Architects drawings also used by the Frisco Railroad for a type STD #1 Frame Depot. It measures 18’ X 58’. We believe it is built in the Tudor Revival Style. The front (facing the tracks) faces slightly North East. It is still located on its original site. The building is supported by concrete pilings. The outside walls are of Cove siding on the lower wall area and Weatherboard on the top outside wall area. A wooden rail separates these two areas. The cove siding was painted a dark brown and the weatherboard was painted dark beige. It is now a weathered orange color. The front of the building, left to right, has a “four over four” paned window, a paneled door with transom above. This door leads into the former waiting room. Originally an Arrival and Departure Schedule hung to the right of this door. A Bay Window, made up of three, “four over four” windows, is in the center of the front of the building, where the ticket office was located. A large baggage door with a concrete ramp makes up the front side. The North end of the building siding is as mentioned above, except for a four paned horizontally positioned window near the eaves. The West side of the building has a large sliding door with a bumping rail suitable for the loading of trucks and vehicles. The rest of the west exterior is of the siding mentioned above. A narrow black and gold “Railway Express Agency” sign originally hung near the freight door. The South side of the building has two windows with “four over four” panes. Historically, each end of the depot held a narrow white sign with WHEATON painted in Black letters. The roof is of shingles, today they are of asphalt, and historically they were wood. A Brick chimney was located in the center peak of the roof. It has been removed. The entire roof area is surrounded by a galvanized iron gutter. The interior of the building originally had three rooms divided by two partitions. The rooms were a waiting room, the ticket office and freight room. The interior partitions have been removed to more easily stored lumber. This depot sets in its original spot near the site of the tracks, which have been removed. This describes the building as it was historically and as it is, except the condition is deteriorating. It has had very little alteration since its construction.

 The Depot was built by the Missouri and North Arkansas Railroad; town lots were platted and sold to residents by their company called MONARK Townsite Co. Wheaton is one of four such towns. Namely Monark Springs, Stark City, Ridgley and Wheaton. It is the only town that the Depot is still standing. The MONARK Townsite Co. donated land to the city of Wheaton for a City Park, historically it joined the Depot. Main Street has been extended and it now separates the two properties. The Depot has always stood at the East end of Main Street and anchor to the town and a reminder of the prosperity of the Railroad years.