Minot, N.D., station, 1974.

The Great Northern Railway built the current depot, located northwest of downtown near the Souris River, in 1905. By September 1974, when this image was taken, the building had been given a more modern appearance by swapping out the original gabled roof and installing new windows with large panes of glass and bright yellow panels. Inside, the marble floor was covered with tile.

In 2003, the volunteer-led Amtrak Depot Restoration Committee formed to work toward a full rehabilitation of the structure. Work officially kicked off as part of the first National Train Day celebration on May 10, 2008. Contractors removed stucco from the walls, but because they were not in a good enough condition to withstand the harsh North Dakota weather, a new brick exterior was put in place. The roof was rebuilt and new period-appropriate windows and doors installed.

Another phase of work included enlarging the waiting room; the spirit of the original design was restored through the installation of wood wainscot, tile flooring, wood benches and a pressed tin ceiling. To celebrate the renovation, a ribbon cutting was held in late 2010. Unfortunately, not a year after the depot project wrapped up, Minot experienced extensive flooding. The depot’s basement flooded and two feet of water inundated the main floor. A subsequent renovation was completed by April 2013.

Image courtesy of Brian Roman.