DEPOT PLACE

In the early days of passenger railroading in the United States, railroads stopped in big cities and smaller towns surrounding. Among those cities was the city of Frankfort, the capital city of Kentucky. A train depot was built here in the 1850s, but in time, would be replaced with the "Frankfort Union Station" when the Louisville and Nashville Railroad came to town in 1908. Today, known as "Depot Place"; the former train station is not open to the public and serves as offices for the Kentucky Association of Highway Contractors (KAHC). 
A vital piece of Kentucky history; the former train depot has been rejuvenated, preserved, and modernized. After a year-long restoration, the project brief sought to address multiple goals:

• Create spaces that function for a more modern use of the historic building.
• Restore historical installations such as plaster moldings, tile flooring where possible, wood trim and casing, electrical fixtures, solid wood doors, and the existing grand staircase.
• Design for economy, longevity, and historic value.
• Reallocate existing spaces for better functioning of the offices and event spaces overall.
• Maintain historic character of the building, while updating for modern-use. 

The first floor of the building is grand as it was designed, with a large lobby/event space, now more opened up and flooded with natural light as a result of removing all of the blinds. A large existing chandelier greets users and visitors, while intricate moldings and soaring coffered ceilings highlight the beautiful ornamentation of past eras. Where necessary; windows were given applications of solar film to cut down on direct sunlight and heat gain. The old ticket booth was carefully restored, serving as a bar for employee breaks and is useful for serving refreshments when events are held. Restrooms were given new applications of paint and flooring, new sinks and vanities were installed, existing plumbing reworked and updated, and the existing marble-clad wainscot was cleaned and preserved. Office spaces were given new applications of paint and flooring, existing moldings and trim were sanded, salvaged and reinstalled. Existing plaster walls within the main offices were demolished and replaced, where water had penetrated through the exterior masonry walls overtime.

Prior to arriving at the second floor of the building; the existing grand staircase had broken treads and risers, and the railing, newel post, and spindles were in need of repair. After careful demolition and refurbishment, the staircase is now a stunning fixture on its own. The second floor houses additional offices, break room and restroom; all of which were given new applications of paint and flooring, new installations of lighting and casework, and equipped with new & existing installations of art and furnishings.

Location: Frankfort KY

Size: 8,100 ft²  

Phase: Completed

Photography: h+ma 

Collaborators: Boone Contracting (Contractor), Yeiser Structural (Structural Engineer)