Port awards $50,000 for historic depot

PULLMAN – The Port of Whitman County granted $50,000 to the Pullman Depot Heritage Center to help preserve the historic train depot.

Built in 1917 by the Northern Pacific Railway, the Pullman Depot operated as a passenger and freight depot for 71 years until Northern Pacific sold the building in 1988.

The Historical Society purchased the building for $300,000 in 2018 with the intent of sustaining one of the region's most iconic sites.

"Supporting the Heritage Center aligns with the port's mission of preserving multimodal transportation – and its history – in Whitman County," port officials said.

The grant is being spent over two years to preserve the structural integrity of the more than 100-year-old building exterior, officials said. It's the first phase of a five-step restoration project.

"The financial support provided by the Port of Whitman County to the Pullman Depot Heritage Center recognizes the historical importance of water and rail transportation to Whitman County's agricultural development," fundraising chairwoman Debbie Sherman said.

"Prior to the arrival of railroads to transport grain, our rivers then as now, supplied the means to deliver goods to market. This partnership celebrates the role transportation modes played in our county's growth."

Plans for the building's interior include permanent and changeable exhibits, a meeting space, a children's exploration area, a gift shop, restrooms and leased space.

Planned exterior updates include restoring the passenger car and caboose, reestablishing the brick platform, building a children's play space and improving traffic flow.