Save the Northfield Depot

Northfield LOVES its depot! The 1888 depot is a special building that reflects our unique history, culture, and community.

The 2010 community’s vision for the 1888 depot is coming true!  The vision for the site included an attractive, renovated depot (above, left) in a depot-pavilion-transit hub complex.

Phase I met the completion goal in Fall 2021.  Because of the decision to cancel fundraising in early 2020 (to avoid competing with critical social needs), the work continued only through the use of $100,000 in loans. A fund drive will be launched on November 18, Give to the Max Day, to meet our financial goal of paying off the loans in 2021-2022.

Anonymous donors have generously pledged a total of $25,000 for a dollar-for-dollar matching fund challenge.  Please help us pay for the progress we made since January 2020 (see links of images below) by taking full advantage of this match by December 31 to reduce the loan by one-half.

• exterior renovation progress photos
• interior renovation progress photos
• sculpture garden area photos

As predicted, once the occupancy permit was obtained a few weeks ago, the depot site has proven to be a popular venue.

• Community members and visitors to Northfield have taken tours and gained a knowledge from the exhibit of local railroad history.
• Organizations have held meetings inside as well as outside.
• Wedding parties, a high school senior, and a family Christmas card have used the site for photos. 
• A holiday market will soon be held for several weeks in the depot.  
• Many stroll through the garden area enjoying the sculptures and plantings, often taking advantage of the several benches.

Activity is expected to increase significantly, once it is safe for larger groups to gather at the site for events. The groundbreaking for the adjacent city pavilion and transit hub will take place in Spring 2022. Its completion will complement and enhance the uses.

IMPORTANT: Please note that a small processing fee (6.9%) is subtracted from all online donations; learn more about this fee at https://www.givemn.org/about/fee. If you would like your FULL donation to go toward restoring the depot, please mail a check to Save the Northfield Depot, P.O. Box 486, Northfield, MN 55057 OR make a donation via our Facebook page.

We helped the project finish the goal of rescuing, renovating, and reusing the last remaining icon of Northfield’s rich railroad history—the 1888 Union Pacific depot, an architectural treasure designated this fall as a local historic site. Please help finish the project by paying off the loans that enabled us to continue the work in 2020-2021 and finish the renovation.

Details about the depots rich history is documented in text and pictures on our website. To learn more about our project, please visit northfielddepot.org.

Please share this project with your friends!

Tweet it out to your followers, post it on Facebook, or send out emails to let your friends know about our project. We know there are many others who believe in the same values we do: historic preservation, beautification, and revitalization.