Click image to enlarge. (Courtesy Wikimedia) Constructed in 1905 during the heyday of U.S. rail transportation, particularly passenger transportation, the GM&O terminal is typical of the grandiose railroad buildings erected across the country during the early twentieth century. Significant architecturally as a fine example of the Spanish Colonial Revival style, the building also has historical significance for the role it played in the history of transportation. From 1905 through 1958, this building was the major rail terminus for North/South and East/West passengers across the Gulf Coast region. Designed by P. Thornton Marye of Atlanta, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
The structure served as the terminal for the combined Mobile and Ohio Railroad and the Southern Railroad until 1940 when the M&O merged with the Gulf, Mobile and Northern to form the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio. Later the company was acquired by Illinois Central. Passenger service was discontinued in 1958, after which the building served as offices for the railroad. Vacated in 1986, the building has changed hands several times and is now for sale.
The three-story terminal sits on 3.5 acres and encompasses more than 63,000 square feet. A set of original building plans is housed at the University of South Alabama Archives.
The three-story terminal sits on 3.5 acres and encompasses more than 63,000 square feet. A set of original building plans is housed at the University of South Alabama Archives.
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