Joliet Union Station
Joliet Union Station is a historic train station in Joliet, Illinois. It has been serving the city and the areas around it for more than a hundred years. The station, which was built in 1912, is a great example of Beaux-Arts architecture and has been named a National Historic Landmark.
The station was built to replace an older one that couldn’t handle the growing number of people coming and going from Joliet. The Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad built the new station. The architect Jarvis Hunt made the plans for it. The station was built with an impressive waiting room that had marble floors, high ceilings, and ornate plasterwork. It could hold up to 300 people.
Joliet Union Station has been an important part of the growth of the area over its long history. In its early years, the station was a major hub for both people and goods. It was a way for many people to get to the west. The station was also an important link between two of the biggest cities in the Midwest, Chicago and St. Louis.
Train travel became less popular over time, so fewer people used Joliet Union Station. But the station has kept doing important things for the community. In the 1990s, the station was fixed up and updated. It is now used by Amtrak, the regional transit authority, and several bus lines.
The beautiful waiting room at Joliet Union Station, which has been brought back to its original grandeur, is one of the station’s best features. The room has a vaulted ceiling, marble floors, and a beautiful mosaic floor that shows a train traveling across a map of the United States. There are also some old photos and displays in the waiting room that show visitors some of the station’s long history.
The Joliet Union Station is also home to a number of other interesting things, such as a 110-foot-tall clock tower. The Seth Thomas Clock Company, one of the most well-known clockmakers of the time, made the four-faced clock on the tower. The tower also has a bell that weighs more than 2,000 pounds and was once used to let people know when trains were coming or going.
In addition to being important for its history and architecture, Joliet Union Station is also a major transportation hub for the area. Several Amtrak trains, like the Lincoln Service and the Texas Eagle, stop at the station. These trains connect to Chicago, St. Louis, and other places in the Midwest and beyond. The station is also a hub for the regional transit authority, which runs buses to places all over the Joliet area.
Even though it has a long and interesting history, Joliet Union Station has had some of the same problems as other old buildings in the United States. In the past few years, the station has had problems with repairs and maintenance, such as roof leaks and water damage to some of the building’s historic parts. But the owners of the station and local preservation groups have worked to fix these problems and make sure that the building will continue to be an important part of the Joliet community for many years to come.
In conclusion, Joliet Union Station is an amazing building with a long history and important architectural and historical value. The station’s beautiful waiting room, clock tower, and bell show how important rail travel and transportation were to the growth of the Midwest. Even though the station has had its share of problems over the years, the fact that it has been fixed up and is still used as a transportation hub shows that its legacy will last.
