Culver Depot
(AKA Vandalia & Pennsylvania)
615 Lakeshore Dr.
Culver , Marshall, Indiana  

Lions Club
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 330 Culver, IN 46511
Physical Address: 615 E. Lake Shore Dr. Culver, IN 46511
Other Information available at Lions Club websitec

The old Vandalia Depot burned in January 1920.

It was not rebuilt until 1925 and opened in September 1925 - it was the third depot; some have said.

The layout of the building.

The new depot was moved several yards south of the depot that burned in 1920 to the present location.

One can see by this cropped section of a photo that the origignal depot laid further east of today's close to a block east and laid on the south side of Lakeshore dr. between Liberty Street and Forest Place.

This is the present brick structure. One of David Burn's yarns that he told around town was how he built the chimney on this depot - he would lay it up so far and his father [James E. Burns] would kick it down - this went on all day; according to David his father's point to be made was that if you laid only one brick a day you were to lay it right. He went on to tell that he was 16 at the time and was playing hookey from school quite a bit and he was told to either go to school or go to work.

1947 - The passenger rail service ended after Thanksgiving 1947 to the town of Culver. An announcement made in October 1947 by the Pennsylvania Road gave notice that passenger service would no longer be provided, the 'Academy Special' as it was called which had been in existence since about 1897 manage to survive until after the spring break of 1956, originating from a side track near the power house on the academy campus. The depot was used only for the radio dispatchers office by the railroad there after.

1959 Crystal Speed Laundromat - 1970's the mid then it sat empty . more pictures of this Vandalia Pennsylvania Depot are found here. 1969 - In 1969 the local depot was closed and Emory Kinney who had been station master since 1954 and his operations were moved to Logansport. Freight trains ran through intermentintly until 1979 when the Vandalia line was finally completely abandoned; the last major user Farm Bureau Co-op had burned in 1978 and did not rebuild in Culver . 1976 - The Pennsylvania Railroad track was abandoned Culver Citzen 17 Aug. 1983 - The Culver Lions Club has announced an Aug. 27. auction and flea market to pay for the purchase of the depot property in Culver 's Town Park. Fundraising committee chairman Tom Sholly said they will need saleable items donated from the entire community in order to raise the funds needed. At this time $575 has been donated by various individuals towards the $36,000 total for purchase. On 27 December 1984 the town made a resolution to purchase the depot and adjacent land for $42,500 and it was finalized on 10 April 1985. This is the depot area - that was not included in the purchasing onf the park in 1935. The property is labeled as Knapp & Kreuzberger R / W Hawkins and is 2.540 acres. In 1902 it was found that the Vandalia Railroad had purchased an additional 10 Acres - of land as follows: The charges to Construction and Equipment paid for out of new capital was as follows:...Picnic grove purchased at Culver 4,524.90 - pg. 10 Fourth Annual Report of The Terre Haute & Logansport Railway Company For Year Ending December 31, 19O2. Terre Haute & Logansport Railway Co. In order to provide facilities for entertaining picnic parties at Lake Maxinkuckee during the summer season and also to prevent the probable purchase of the property by undesirable parties it was thought best to purchase an oak grove of about ten acres fronting the lake and adjacent to the company's station and property Several expensive improvements authorized - pg. 11 Fourth Annual Report of The Terre Haute & Logansport Railway Company For Year Ending December 31, 19O2. Terre Haute & Logansport Railway Co. this could of been a part of this property which would of been a part of Kreuzgerger Park & Saloon. The long-term effort started in 1985 when the town purchased the then-dilapidated building, used for a time as a laundromat, and leased it to the Lions. Culver Lions Want to Renovate Old Depot The Culver Lions Club made a proposal at a recent meeting of the Culver Park and Recreation Board to restore the Railroad Depot The Lions Club want to restore the building and schedule bookings for its use. Club representatives said the building would be available to any communit organization, and they would head a private fundraising effort to raise the money ncessary for its renocation The orginal chraracter of the structure would be left in tact. The Lions estimate the total cost of renocation to be approximately $50,000.00 and that it would take about three years. The club asked the board for a contract giving them the right to administer the building providing they do the renovation. Park Board President Paul Pare said that the board would most likely lease the depot to the club. Pare said that an informal poll of the board uncovered strong public sentiment for saving the structure and using it as a community center. Board members favorably impressed with the Lions proposal and agreed to pursue have a formal contract drawn up with the Lions for the depot's renovation and management. - Oct 14, 1985 Plymouth Penny Saver The Lions Club raised $50,000 funds to get the renovation under way the following year. Members done much of the renovation themselves over the next several years and completed it in 1987. Being the leaseholder the club is charged with being the sole caretaker of this historic building and conitues to maintain the structure’s historical significance. It was listed in Indiana’s Historic Sites Registery and has also received The Historical Landmark Award from Marshall County Historical Society. Paper work is being done to place the depot on the Federal Register of Historical Buildings. It is used for their meeting place and other community events such as - church functions, candidates nights and other nonprofit events; none of that's charged for. It can be rented for other functions and that money goes to the building fund. Below are some of the photos of the outside before renovation began and some as the beginning renovation got under way. To raise funds over the last twenty years they have had many pancake and sauasage breakfasts - they eventuall also took space during the lakefest for this besides the annual spring (May) and fall (October) festival which includes the pancake and sausage breakfast and a flea market and bake sale combined. It was one of the first fund raisers started when the restoration project began. Besides the donations to the project. Barb Meeker also done her sketch of the depot - which helped raise funds for the depot. In about 1984-1985 - Judith E. (Mc Kee) Burns - designed this cross-stitch of the depot. When Walter Vonderhoe left as pastor of Grace Church he and his wife was presented one - he was also a Lions Club member and worked on the renovastion of the depot. Others may have been presented - one. This one is hers and hung on the wall in the house at Culver - it is dated 1986. There is one that has been in to works since 1990 and has added details Renovation Period: > 2000 - The limestone and fieldstone sign was a suggestion from Lion Jim Bonine .The August 21, 2001, Culver Citizen pictures an almost completed sign, which Winters says was accepted at that time by the Culver town board as a town sign. 2001-6 - Roofing, painting, installation of window blinds, acoustical panels, new soffit, insulated glass on doors and exterior tuck pointing nearly exhausted the Lion Club's building fund. 2007 - A $23,139 grant from the Marshall County Community Foundation (MCCF) to the Culver Lions Club. with grant in hand, the Lions intend to replace 22 double sash windows with transoms, two double sash windows without transoms and two door transoms. New double-pane energy-efficient windows, with wood interior and vinyl-clad exterior, promise to improve the appearance of and view from the depot when completed. The Lions, who estimated the project's, cost at $27,639, committed $4,000 and also received a $500 donation from the Culver Antiquarian and Historical Society. 2010 - noticed at last summer's corn roast the condition of the roof of the railroad station, and upon investigation realized that, "although the roof was not very old it was in bad condition. That meant we had to go into the savings to put on a new roof 2011 - The sign committee included Don Freese, Jim Sawhook, Leroy Bean, Dennis Lewandowski, Mike Overmyer, and Barbara Winters. In October, the Community Foundation granted the Culver Lions $10,000 (the amount requested) to be used toward cleaning, repairing and updating the Culver Lions Club's community sign to a two-side programmable LED display. On Dec. 5, a crew from Vanadco Signs removed the old sign board and inserted the new. Lions Leroy Bean and Don Burke helped with the electrical work and by noon the sign was operational. On Tuesday Dec. 6th, Jeff Allen of Vanadco taught Lions Mike Overmyer, Barbara Winters, and Leroy Bean how to program the sign. Mike Overmyer is the official programer. On Wednesday Dec. 7th, some trim and finishing touches were installed. The sign was in! Other notable improvements in the operation of the depot of late, including the addition of a permanently-mounted overhead digital projector and motorized drop-down screen for speakers, whether at Lions events or simply making use of the building. 2014 - I think I read in a just recent Culver Citizen where there lease is up and the town board must vote in the near future to extend another lease for 25 years. Today is Original Started as paper version Sept. 1990 web version started 2004 | All Rights Reserved