Dave's Depots - Mt. Vernon, Illinois

For the second installment of "Dave's Depots" we see the former Louisville and Nashville Railroad depot in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. This depot is also on the L&N Evansville Division, running from East St. Louis, Illinois to Evansville, IN. The L&N has a soft spot in my heart, due to my growing up in Bardstown, Kentucky where the L&N operated a branchline to serve the bourbon industry. Then, as I grew older, I became involved at the Kentucky Railway Museum, which has a large L&N focus.

Anyway, Mt. Vernon is the county seat of Jefferson County, and the home of the Illinois Court of Appeals for the Fifth District. The L&N recognized this role by building a larger depot, often called the "county seat" depot. The depot is in standard L&N style, and similar to many L&N depots constructed from the 1890s onward.

For those of you playing at home, Mt. Vernon, IL is approximately 408.11 rail miles from 9th and Broadway in Louisville Kentucky (L&N Milepost 0), via Amqui, Tennessee. For an all L&N routing to St. Louis, once upon a time, one had to take the train south from Louisville, to just north of Nashville, Tennessee, then up the Evansville division to St. Louis. Later, the L&N bought the Louisville, Henderson & St. Louis Railroad, giving a more direct route from Louisvlle to the Gateway City via Owensboro, KY.

The depot today is in poor shape. It appears to still be railroad owned. One side wall of the depot has been removed and replaced, eliminating the operator's bay. Despite its condition, the depot still has a surprising amount of its original architecture and woodwork.