Southern Railway Terminal (New Orleans)

The Southern Railway Terminal, originally officially "New Orleans Terminal", in New Orleans was constructed by the Southern Railway in 1908 on the neutral ground of Basin Street at the intersection of Canal Street. The building was designed by Daniel Burnham, who was also the architect for the Union Station in Washington D.C. The station also served the New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad and the New Orleans Terminal Company.[1] It was the terminus for many of Southern's premier trains, most notably the Crescent. As such, it was the "front door" to New Orleans for many passengers from the Northeast.

Southern Railroad Terminal
Passenger Station
New Orleans Terminal on Canal Street
Location	1125 Canal Street New Orleans, Louisiana
Coordinates	29°57′23″N 90°04′23″W
Operated by	Southern Railway (US)
History
Opened	1908
Closed	1956

From New Orleans, Southern provided service to the following areas:[2]

• Northern Gateway (Cincinnati, Louisville and Washington D.C.)
• Western Gateway (Memphis and St. Louis)
• Ports (Baltimore, Brunswick, Charleston, Gulfport, Jacksonville, and Savannah)

The station was demolished in 1956 after all passenger service was relocated to the new Union Passenger Terminal. After station and tracks were removed the neutral ground was landscaped and the area was designated as the "Garden of the Americas."[3]

Southern Railroad Terminal from Canal Street

Postcard - Southern Railroad Terminal seen from atop Roosevelt Hotel

References

1. "Crescent City Choo Choo". New Orleans Public Library Web site.
2. New Orleans City of Old Romance and New Opportunity, Bauerlein Inc., 1921
3. "The Disappearance of Storyville". Retrieved 25 June 2014.

External links

• Article from The American Architect (1909) with floor plan