Vandalia Train Depot: A welcoming site

Not long after the turn of the 20th century, the city of Martinsville was booming as a tourist destination, and what better way to welcome visitors than with a new train station.

The Martinsville Vandalia Depot, also known as the Indianapolis and Vincennes Railroad Depot, is a train station located on an historic train line still in existence in Martinsville.

The current structure was built in 1911 and replaced the old wood-framed depot that was in the same location.

The new depot was built as Martinsville enjoyed a surge in tourism after the discovery of mineral springs that became a popular attraction for visitors from around the state and the country. Many speculate that the Vandalia Rail Co. built the new depot as a way to provide an attractive destination and access point for the city’s many visitors to the health sanitariums in the area.

After passenger service was discontinued on the train line in 1939, the train line and depot transitioned to freight services, which included up to 40 outgoing freight cars a month, with cargo that often included the transportation of goldfish from the nearby Grassyfork Fisheries.

The style of the depot is American Craftsman, with a brick exterior and a red clay roof. The building currently houses the Martinsville Arts Council and is home to regular theater performances, among other events.

(Prepared by the Morgan County Leadership Academy Class of 2022 on behalf of the Morgan County Bicentennial Committee)