Rent the Depot for your community, group, or family activity! For information, visit our Rental and Events page.

To hear interviews with people who remember the Depot when it was in railroad service, visit our History page.

Restoring the Historic Keokuk Union Depot

In 2011 the City of Keokuk, Iowa, acquired the Keokuk Union Depot from Pioneer Railcorp for the purpose of historic preservation and community use, and leased the associated real estate for 99 years. Erected in 1891, the building was designed by the Chicago architectural firm Burnham and Root. It is notable as one of John Root's last designs for public buildings in his distinctive Romanesque Revival style. Thereafter, with Root's death in 1891, architectural design in North America took a different turn.

How You Can Help

  • To volunteer to help with preservation activities, email the Depot Commission: info@keokukuniondepot.org.
  • To donate funds to the restoration effort, visit the Depot Foundation page.
  • Or write to Keokuk Union Depot, P.O. Box 463, Keokuk, IA 52632.

Depot waiting room
The Depot waiting room in August 2012. Photo by Richard Leonard

Architectural features of the Depot include Root's characteristic use of earth tones, arched windows and high-pitched roofline. The interior features an oak-paneled waiting room and octagonal ticket booth; the "cathedral ceiling" and other woodwork in the waiting room were restored in 1991 by then-owner Keokuk Junction Railway. For the history of the Keokuk Union Depot visit our History page.

In 2011 an intern from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago developed an architectural study that resulted in the Depot's being listed in the National Register of Historic Places. (The Register is maintained by the National Park Service.) Restoric LLC, a Chicago firm specializing in the restoration of historic structures, completed a thorough architectural study in 2012 and produced a 180-page Historic Structure Report.

National Register of Historic Places plaque
This bronze plaque records the Depot's listing on the National
Register of Historic Places. Photo by Richard Leonard

The plans drawn up from the Historic Structure Report have formed the basis for returning the Depot as closely as possible to its 1891 appearance, including replacing the shingled roof with clay tiles and rebuilding the central peaked tower, which was leveled off around 1950. The goal is to restore the building while adapting it to serve the community in a manner consistent with both historic preservation standards and contemporary requirements for public use.

Depot viewed from bridge, 2014
The Depot in March 2014, before roof restoration was begun,
as seen from the Mississippi River bridge. Photo by John Miller

The Depot is located at Johnson and South Water Streets, between the Mississippi River and the limestone bluff along its west bank, and fronts on rail trackage used by BNSF Railway and the Keokuk Junction Railway (part of the Patriot Rail system). The site is a block down-river from the US-136 highway bridge between Hamilton, Illinois and Keokuk.

Locate the Depot on the map.

The Depot provides a venue for a range of local events, both public and private, as is evident from the schedule on the Rental and Events page. The Keokuk Union Depot Commission, appointed by the Mayor, administers the operation and restoration of the Depot. No municipal tax funds are to be used for Depot projects. A separate Keokuk Union Depot Foundation, a tax-exempt charitable organization, was established in 2012 to raise the necessary funds from grants and private sources.

In 2014 the Keokuk Union Depot Foundation launched a Capital Campaign upon securing a one-third matching grant of $333,000 from the Jeffris Family Foundation toward the projected $1 million-plus cost of restoring the roof. Substantial grants for specific phases of the project from the Iowa Historical Resource Development Program (HDRP) were also instrumental in accelerating the pace of the project by enabling work on the building's eaves and reconstruction of the apex. Grants by local foundations and community groups contributed to the effort, while a large segment of support came from individuals who share the vision for preservation of this community resource.

Depot viewed from down-river end, 2017
The Depot in October 2017, showing complete roof
tiling of the down-river end. Photo by Richard Leonard

By the Depot's 125th anniversary in July 2016 the attainment of the funding goal was assured and work on restoring the central tower and tile roof commenced. Major roof restoration work was complete by the end of 2018. Smaller projects have been undertaken by a corps of local volunteers. For highlights of the restoration effort, visit our Restoration Activity and Depot Foundation pages.

Depot viewed from bridge, 2019
The Depot in December 2018, showing the reconstructed
roof completely tiled. Photo by Janet M. Smith

In June 2020 the Jeffris Family Foundation awarded a further matching grant of $275,000 toward restoration of the Depot's waiting room and train shed. The remaining $550,000 of the $825,000 project was raised by mid-2023 in a capital campaign. Included in this phase of the project is restoration of the waiting room and central tower exterior masonry, reproduction of the waiting room's tiled floor, installation of period-style chandeliers and sconces, and renovation of the rest rooms with period-style fixtures. Restoration of the train shed was completed in 2022. Work on the masonry was undertaken in 2023, and the interior work is under way in 2024.

Depot Event Center sign
Matthew Martin produced this rendering of the projected restoration
of the train shed and waiting room for Restoric LLC, the
project manager for the Depot's restoration.

Depot Event Center sign
This attractive sign marking the Depot as a local Event Center
was installed in 2019. Photo by Richard Leonard

Keokuk Union Depot Commission

Thomas Seabold, President-Sec'y
Richard Beaird, Vice-President
Damon Cackley
Carla Celania
Abby Etter

Michael Hickey
Sandra Seabold
Ashley Wade
Dustin Wade

Mike Bliven, Treasurer

Depot Commission meeting
The Keokuk Union Depot Commission meeting at
the Depot, March 2018. Photo by Richard Leonard

The Depot's roof restoration project has been supported in part by the Jeffris Family Foundation, the State Historical
Society of Iowa Historical Resource Development Program (HDRP), the Lee County Charitable Fund,
the Keokuk Area Community Foundation, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Depot Gift Shoppe Items Visit the Depot Gift Shoppe!

Depot gift and souvenir items are available. Proceeds go toward the restoration effort. To purchase these items, please click on "Gift Shoppe" above or below.

Do you have a memory of the Keokuk Union Depot, or an old photo?
Email it to the Depot Commission: info@keokukuniondepot.org

If volunteers are not present when you visit the Depot, phone one of these numbers to arrange a tour:

 

217-242-8931
(Mike Bliven)

319-795-7371
(Jim Lewiston)

319-524-1221
(Sandra Seabold)

 

Frontal view of the depot in 2019
This unobscured view of the Depot was taken in July, 2019. Photo by David J. Grogan