FULLERTON : Depot Is Nominated for Historic Register

A state agency has nominated the Fullerton Depot for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, a status that helps protect significant buildings and points of interest.

The state Historic Resources Commission made the recommendation at a meeting last month, allowing the state Office of Historic Preservation to submit an application to the National Register for evaluation. The depot is at Santa Fe Avenue and Harbor Boulevard.

The Fullerton Depot first became a stop on the Santa Fe Railway line in 1888 and was called La Habra Station. The original building was razed in 1929 and the current structure was built at a cost of $50,000.

For years afterward, it was a center of activity for passengers and Santa Fe Railway freight shipments, especially during World War II. Often, it was the first California building a traveler from the Midwest or East would visit.

While many railroad stations in Orange County have been demolished, the Fullerton Depot has survived. Since 1971, it has been a stop for Amtrak travelers, and since 1989, rail commuters from San Juan Capistrano to Los Angeles have used the hub. The City Council recently approved plans to construct a pedestrian bridge across the tracks.

A Fullerton developer, Bushala Bros. Inc., is drawing plans to restore the Spanish-style structure, distinctive for its red-clay tiled roof and intricate wrought-iron grillwork. The developers have plans to convert parts of the building into commercial space, although they are still seeking a tenant for one restaurant spot in what used to be the station’s freight house.

The renovation is expected to cost about $450,000. Officials of the firm plan to launch a fund-raising drive to create and place a statue of George Fullerton, a Santa Fe Railway employee and the city’s namesake, at the site.

The structure also is expected to become the North Orange County hub of a proposed elevated monorail system, which would link Irvine and Fullerton. The station also will be a hub for proposed commuter rail service between Orange and Riverside counties.