Thursday Then and Now: The International and Great Northern Railroad passenger station

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postcard, date unknown, from my personal collection
The International & Great Northern Railroad made its entrance into San Antonio, Texas in 1879 following a route from Austin, Texas to Laredo, Texas.  This Mission Revival style passenger station was built in 1906 and served the community until its closure in 1970.

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photo by Alex Nelson, June 1975 retrieved from NRHP nomination form 6/10/2020
To say that it had deteriorated is an understatement.  However, in time it was beautifully restored and today is currently home to San Antonio’s VIA Metropolitan Transit System.

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photograph taken May 24, 2017
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Only a few shards of the beautiful stained glass windows remained when restoration began. The windows were carefully reproduced and the shards were incorporated into them.

4 thoughts on “Thursday Then and Now: The International and Great Northern Railroad passenger station

  1. What a beautiful building. I loved the stained glass window. I am so glad they restored this building. It always makes me sad when they wait too long and cannot entirely restore the entire building to its original glory. Thanks for sharing this Beth.

    Liked by 1 person

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