Menlo Park Railroad Station

This depot served Menlo Park for sixty years before Menlo Park became a lasting city. The tracks reached San Francisquito Creek in 1863 and the building followed in 1867. The town incorporated in 1874, the local historical association says, only so its landowners could be taxed for road work, and let the charter lapse once they had been. The city that stands now dates from 1927. When the Army opened Camp Fremont in 1917, about two thousand people lived here. The chamber of commerce has leased part of the depot since 1960.

What the plaque says

Menlo Park Railroad Station This building, constructed in 1867 by the San Francisco and San Jose Railroad Company, is the oldest railroad passenger station in California. The Victorian ornamentation was added in the 1890's when the station was remodelled to serve the newly-opened Stanford University. The extension on the northwest was added to accommodate increased traffic generated by the establishment of Camp Fremont nearby during World War I. California Registered Historical Landmark No. 955 Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the City of Menlo Park, July 4, 1983.

Where it stands

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