Union Station
Dallas, Dallas County, Texas
Marker Inscription
By the early 1900s, Dallas needed a single rail terminal for the numerous railroads serving the city. In 1912 seven rail lines formed the Union Terminal Co. They hired Chicago architect Jarvis Hunt, who designed this neo-classical building with an elegant grand hall on the second floor. The facility officially opened Oct. 14, 1916, at the start of the state Fair. A Dallas landmark, Union Station was a center of community life during the peak years of train travel. RTHL - 1979
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
By the early 1900s Dallas was served by a tangle of competing railroads, and in 1912 seven lines joined forces as the Union Terminal Company to build a single grand station. Chicago architect Jarvis Hunt designed this neo-classical terminal with an elegant second-floor grand hall, and it opened on October 14, 1916, timed to the State Fair. For decades it was a hub of civic life during the golden age of American rail travel.
Why it matters
Union stations like this one embodied the peak of American railroading, when consolidating rival lines under one monumental roof announced a city's arrival as a commercial center.
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Related people
- · Jarvis Hunt
Related events
- · Opening of Dallas Union Station (1916)
Themes & tags
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