Rocky Mount Historic Train Station
Rocky Mount, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

The dark red brick and substantial roofline of Rocky Mount Historic Train Station mark a depot that still serves its original purpose. Its Romanesque styling gives passengers an arrival point with considerably more character than a simple platform shelter. 05-08

The Wilmington & Weldon Railroad built the station in 1893. Atlantic Coast Line expanded it in 1911–1912, adding upper floors to the wings, with further changes following in 1916. A major restoration completed in 2000 returned the building to fuller use while preserving its historic appearance.

UPDATE: The depot remains an active Amtrak station and bears the name of Helen P. Gay, who helped champion its restoration. More than a century of additions and continued service have kept this railroad landmark connected to Rocky Mount's transportation history. 11-26

Salisbury Train Station
Salisbury, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Salisbury, NC is home to this old Salisbury Train Station which was used in Leatherheads that had been filmed in the Carolinas in early 2007 (the scene was on the track side). A local fellow was telling me that they brought in not only a steam locomotive for the filming, but because it was a fall (football) season film they drilled holes all over the area and trucked in a bunch of fake fall colored trees.

The Salisbury train station was constructed in 1908 and designed by architect Frank P. Milburn in the Spanish Mission style. The Salisbury Station was originally built by the Southern Railroad and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. After being vacant for years, the Historic Salisbury Foundation Inc. restored the station. Check out the Cheerwine ghost sign that overlooks the train station. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 02-09

UPDATE: Salisbury's depot continues serving Amtrak passengers. The restored station preserves both its architectural character and its transportation role, allowing travelers to use a building that has welcomed rail passengers for more than a century. It remains one of Milburn's notable surviving station designs. 11-26

Post Office
Mt Airy, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Granite walls and a broad entrance staircase give Mount Airy's Post Office a substantial downtown presence. The building reflects the city's close association with locally quarried stone, using a familiar regional material for an important federal facility. 10-08

Constructed in 1932–1933, rather than 1935, the post office belongs to the period when civic buildings combined practical interiors with dignified classical details. Its granite exterior connects it visually with other Mount Airy landmarks, reinforcing the community's well-earned “Granite City” identity.

UPDATE: The historic building continues serving postal customers. Its original purpose and substantial exterior have survived while many older federal buildings elsewhere have changed uses. More than ninety years after completion, it remains a recognizable part of downtown Mount Airy. 11-26

Southern F Unit at Greensboro Train Station
Greensboro, NC
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

The rounded nose of this Southern Railway F Unit makes a fitting companion to Greensboro's historic passenger station. Its streamlined body recalls the transition from steam to diesel, when locomotive styling helped present rail travel as modern and efficient. 02-09

General Motors' Electro-Motive Division produced the F-unit family in several versions for freight and passenger service. Their enclosed bodies and distinctive cab fronts became familiar across American railroads. Southern's green passenger livery supplied another recognizable feature, complementing the locomotive's sweeping lines.

UPDATE: This view records the locomotive beside Greensboro's restored depot, but it should not be described as a permanent station exhibit. Preserved Southern units have visited Greensboro for special displays and events. The station remains active, while historic locomotives provide occasional connections to its earlier passenger-train years. 11-26

Greyhound Station (Closed)
Birmingham, AL
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

Rounded corners and streamlined detailing give Birmingham's former Greyhound Station a distinctive downtown profile. Its horizontal lines and vertical marquee reflect the effort bus companies put into creating recognizable terminals during the mid-century travel years. 04-09

Opened in December 1949, the station was designed by William Strudwick Arrasmith, known for Greyhound terminals nationwide. In 1961, it became part of the Freedom Rides challenging segregation in interstate transportation. Later alterations concealed portions of the original design before Greyhound relocated in 2017.

UPDATE: A restoration begun after the property's 2019 sale uncovered historic details and adapted the terminal for offices. The rebuilt marquee and preserved architectural features retain its transportation identity, while interpretation acknowledges its civil rights significance. The buses have moved, but the landmark remains in use. 11-26