Venice Depot
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Constructed in 1928, the former Venice Depot is a fine example of Mediterranean Revival architecture. It was built by the Seaboard Air Line as part of the city's development plan, which required that commercial and industrial buildings be designed in this style (the plan was created by nationally-known city planner John Nolen). The depot, which is 400-feet long, used to have baggage and freight rooms and, for a time, separate segregated waiting rooms. Today, the depot is the home of the Venice Historical Society. It also serves as a bus station and is the southern terminus of the Legacy Trail, a 12.5-mile recreational-use trail that runs on the old railroad line. The depot's grounds also feature a restored caboose and a statue of Gunther Gebel-Williams, an animal trainer employed by the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus (the Circus moved to Venice in 1960) who is considered to be the greatest animal trainer of all time.
Images
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Sources
Welcher, Vicki L. "Venice Depot." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. August 17, 1989.
https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/5bd862dc-607f-4ef0-b9f7-92a21ad13725.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons