Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad: Stuart Passenger Station

The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad: Stuart Passenger Station is a historic building located in Stuart, Iowa, United States. The town of Stuart was laid out by Charles A. Stuart, for whom it is named, in concert with the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. The railroad reached this point in 1868 and the depot was completed the following year. It is a single story, side gable, frame structure covered with brick veneer. The segmentally-arched widows are capped with brick hoods and limestone keystones. It contains four rooms that housed a baggage room, men's waiting room, ticket office, and the ladies waiting room. This was one of several buildings constructed in Stuart by the Rock Island Line, which placed a divisional headquarters here from the beginning. Other facilities included a roundhouse (1871) and brick shops (1874) that replaced wood frame structures. In 1897 the railroad moved its facilities to Valley Junction, now West Des Moines. The depot, which was abandoned by the railroad in 1977, is the only structure that remains in Stuart from its heyday as a railroad town. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.