Eddie Bernice Johnson Union Station (Dallas Union Station-NRHP # 75001966) - Downtown Dallas, Texas

The Dallas Union Terminal building is one of the finest examples of the Beaux-Arts Classical style in Texas. The building is significant not only for the excellence in its craftsmanship and detailing, but also for its representation of how Beaux-Arts Classicism was interpreted in Texas after its prime popularity on the East and West Coasts. Built at a time when railroad travel was at its peak, the station was used to capacity only prior to 1920 and during World War II. Despite its infrequent use for the decades, the facility remains virtually intact today.

During the years prior to the construction of a passenger facility for all of Dallas' railroads, the city was served by nine lines using five depots. Preliminary studies for a single station began in 1905, leading to a proposal for two stations to accomodate all the railroads except the St. Louis Southwestern. The citizens of Dallas, which numbered ~140,000, disapproved of this plan, and in 1912 the Union Terminal Company was organized to construct a single facility. Stock in the company was owned equally by the member railroads: the Gulf, Colorado, and Santa Fe; the Chicago, Rock Island & Gulf; the Missouri, Kansas, & Texas, the St. Louis, San Francisco & Texas; the Houston & Texas Central; the St. Louis Southwestern; the Trinity & Brazos Valley; and the Texas & Pacific. The Texas & New Orleans Railroad also entered the terminal as a tenant line.

Mr. Jarvis Hunt of Chicago was commissioned as the architect for the project. Chief engineer of the Union Terminal Company was Mr. C.H. Dana, while Mr. F.D. Griffin was the engineer of outside construction. Engineer of buildings was Mr. W.P. Weathers, who worked in conjunction with Mr. J.W. Thompson of St. Louis, general railroad contractor. Construction began in March, 1914 and the terminal opened to passengers on October 8, 1916. An official opening was held six days later on the opening day of the State Fair of Texas in Dallas. At that time the station handled 85 trains per day.

The site chosen for the facility was previously occupied by a flour mill, grain elevator, and several warehouses. Due to its close proximity to the Trinity River, a passenger tunnel connecting the waiting areas to the platforms could not be built. Consequently, a "passenger midway" was built over the tracks connecting the second floor waiting room with the platforms. This design proved to be unsatisfactory with the general public, and in 1947, a new tunnel was built beneath the tracks after the construction of the Trinity River levee.

After World War II, Dallas Union Terminal experienced the same decline in passenger traffic as did other large railroad stations. In an effort to compensate for the traffic decline, the Dallas Times Herald launched a campaign to renovate the station. The Fort Worth architect Wyatt C. Hedrick was employed as the architect for the renovation, with A.J. Rife in charge of the construction work. With the new tunnel completed, the second floor waiting room and dining facilities were no longer needed and were therefore closed. A new waiting room and coffee shop replaced the former ticket lobby on the first floor. In spite of the efforts to attract more passengers, traffic continued to decline until by the mid-1960's, such famous trains as the Southern Pacific's "Sunbeam", the Katy's "Texas Special", and the Texas & Pacific's "Sunshine Special" were mere memories of railroading history. April 8, 1969 saw the last Texas & Pacific "Eagle" pull out of the station, representing an end to private railroad passenger operation at Dallas Union Terminal.

In 1954, the building served as a temporary library while the Dallas Public Library system built a new central library to replace the original Carnegie Library.

In 1972, the City of Dallas purchased the station building, leaving control of freight tracks and some related facilities to the dwindling Union Terminal Company which finally dissolved in March 1974. A major restoration was begun in January 1974, in anticipation of Amtrak's renewing service to the station. The official dedication of the new Dallas Transportation Center was held on March 14, 1974, with passenger service provided by Amtrak and Surtran buses to the new Dallas-Fort Worth Regional Airport.

In October 2016, the Dallas City Council renamed the station to Eddie Bernice Johnson Union Station in honor of U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, who represented Texas's 30th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1993 to 2023.

On May 29, 1975, the Dallas Union Station was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) for its significance in the areas of architecture and transportation. Most of the information above was found on the original documents submitted for NRHP listing and can be viewed here:
catalog.archives.gov/id/40971701

Three bracketed photos were taken with a handheld Nikon D7200 and combined with Photomatix Pro to create this HDR image. Additional adjustments were made in Photoshop CS6.

"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~Jeremiah 29:11

The best way to view my photostream is through Flickriver with the following link: www.flickriver.com/photos/photojourney57/

Taken in: United States / Texas / Dallas (show map)

Taken on: April 29, 2024

Tags:

Eddie Bernice Johnson Union Station

Dallas Union Station

Beaux-Arts Classical style

Beaux-Arts Classical architecture

Beaux-Arts Classical design

Beaux-Arts Classical

Union Terminal Company

Jarvis Hunt

Mr. C.H. Dana

Mr. F.D. Griffin

Mr. W.P. Weathers

Mr. J.W. Thompson

opened to passengers on October 8, 1916

Wyatt C. Hedrick

A.J. Rife

temporary library in 1954

City of Dallas

Dallas Transportation Center

U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson

Eddie Bernice Johnson

Dallas, Texas

Dallas

Texas

Dallas, TX

Dallas County, Texas

JLR Photography

Nikon D7200

Nikon

D7200

photography

2024

Engineers with cameras

Photography for God

The South

Southern Photography

Scream of the Photographer

iBeauty

J.L. Ramsaur Photography

Tennessee Photographer

The Lone Star State

Deep in the Heart of Texas

Big D

D-Town

Triple D

Pegasus City

214

DFW

The Metroplex

National Register of Historic Places

NRHP

historic building

history

historic

History is All Around Us

American Relics

Fading America

It's a Retro World After All

Old and Beautiful

Texas history

Dallas, Texas history

retro building

classic building

vintage building

old buildings

Structures of the South

Engineering as Art

Of and By Engineers

Engineering is Art

engineering

Architecture

Reunion Tower

train station

Union Station

Texas Union Station « less

Sets appears in: • 30th Anniversary Road Trip • National Register of Historic Places more » • AMERICA • Trains, Depots, Railroads, or Related • Texas • HDR • Historic Buildings, Old Barns, and Other Things... « less

Groups appears in: • The Photographer's Club • Colors of the World more » • Nikon Digital • Photography • Nikon • Texas • Southern Exposure • Buildings/Architecture • Color and Colors - No computer-generated posts. • Your Postcard Shot • !FlickrSoup for Soul • Amateurs • Americana • CHRISTIAN PHOTOGRAPHY • Travel Photography • HDR • A Country Called Texas • TEXAS ON MY MIND • Nikon Digital Magic • Nikon Digital SLRs • Total Photography (No AI or SL) • Flickr USA • Nice pictures • EVERYTHING AMERICA • 2016 International Beauty • ANYTHING ALLOWED!!!!!! • Nikon DSLR Users • Your photo goes here! no 30/60 • History is All Around Us • America the Beautiful • National Register of Historic Places • Nikonians • Just me and my camera ! • The World Through My Eyes ... • American Beauty • Quality HDR • .Southern Photographers - Southern Images • Old Buildings & More..... • HDR Unlimited • 10 Million Photos • Amatuer Photography • I Love Old Glory (the American Flag) • Train Stations - the older the better • Self Taught Photographers - LOOK AT DISCUSSIONS FIRST! • God Bless America • 1 day we'll have the most photos on Flickr • HDR ADDICTED • Old And Beautiful (buildings ,barns, shacks, and abandoned homes • Geotagged: Texas • USA - UNITED STATES OF AMERICA • I bring my camera everywhere (no 30/60 limit) • Tennessee Photographer • Beautiful Capture • Doors, Windows, and Steps • Engineers with Cameras • Patriotic and Proud • **Explore Unexplored!** (10 Favs & No Explored) • * This Old House, Barn, Building! • Nikon Digital Learning Center • all skies and clouds • All Nikon Photographers New and Experienced • calatorind prin.... viatza ( Journey through..... life ) • Structures of the South • Texas - The Lone Star State - Tejas - TX - All The Great Views • Historic Buildings of the United States • PSDTUTS • "Unlimited Photos: No Rules" (NO AI, CGI or SL images) • HDR-Imaging • Popular Photography Magazine • Sweet shot! New Contest: Coming Soon! • Spring and Summer Around the World ❀ • The American Flag • ***SCREAM OF THE PHOTOGRAPHER*** • This is Why I Love Photography • Great Buildings • _The Best Of Nikon_ • flags of any kind • Flickr's Biggest Group • ~Engineering is Art~ • Engineering as Art • Strictly GeoTagged (no 30/60 limit) • ONLY THE BEST, ONLY BY NIKON • HDR Photomatix • Photography for God • Nikon Shooters of All Skill Levels • ★★★Shutter Bug - Tips & Tricks★★★ • All Gone to Look for America (USA, United States of America) • In travel with my Nikon • Flickr Social Club • A Photographer [No AI or SL] • Just any group • PLANET EARTH BACK IN THE DAY • Beauty of the USA • Nikon DSLR Club • Eyes Of Nikon • Planet Earth! • BE FREE Photographer's Network • IT'S A RETRO WORLD AFTER ALL • Anything Nikon!! • HDR Worlds • NUESTRAS FOTOGRAFÍAS. • Union Stations • The Photograph Bank • Galería Siabala • Nikon D7100 / D7200/ D7500 CLUB • Perfect Beauty II • brilliant flickr • Nikon DSLR Photographers • Photography is Life!! • Nikon Photographers • Sun | Sky | Cloud • H-D-R The Best • Images About Almost Anything • Photography with a Story • We love cameras • Nikon D7200 • Share a mood! • ♥ AMERICA ᵇᵉᵃᵘᵗᶤᶠᵘˡ AMERICA ♥ • Nikon D7200 Official Group • This is Why I Bought A Camera • Today's Flickr • MONUMENT • Nikon D7200 Club • Nikon is my passion • Flickr Explore It • Nikon 7200 • Art of Exploration • Nikon D7200: From Snapshots to Great Shots • Nikon D7200ers • Show All Your Photos From Around The World. NO SL/AI • Group for all users of FLICKR - No 30/60 Groups Limit • City, Urban & Engineering Images • The best picture of the world • AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER • Life Through A Hole • !* THE NEW SOUTH ✧ Please, ONLY QUALITY IMAGES!✧ • Great workmanship - past & present • ALL AMERICAS • Slice of Southern Life • The best photographs from around the world. • ¤¤ HDR ¤¤ (No limit 30/60) • Photo-Phactory • NO 30/60 Family safe only • H D R C O L O R • Show your EXIF • * no limits, just quality photography! • A group for all type of photos but no porn (No 30 • ! * The Railway Photographers Group • SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS Photos • Fans of Flickr • Civic Architecture • What is the Story? • Capturing Colors • Train Stations and Railroad Depots of the World • Where was this photographed? « less

Camera: Nikon D7200, f/7.1, 1/400 sec, 18mm (=27mm), ISO 250 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D7200
Lens:	10.0-20.0 mm f/4.5-5.6
Aperture:	f/7.1
Exposure Time:	0.003 sec (1/400)
Focal Length:	18mm (35mm equivalent: 27mm)
ISO:	250
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Saturation:	High
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Windows)
Show full info

Stats: 2,672 views / 5 comments