This freight depot on Louisville Road, which sits just outside the boundaries of the National Historic Landmark District, is slated for partial demolition to make way for a new development for SCAD (Savannah College of Art & Design) in the near future. This was initially planned by private developers in 2016 and 2019 but intervening factors halted the process. In the interim, the city condemned the property after finding it to be unfit for human habitation, improperly secured, covered in graffiti, surrounded by litter and a harbor for vagrants and criminal activity. The office section, or “head house”, seen at the foreground of the photo below, will be preserved and six- and seven-story student housing and parking decks will be built around it.
Built to handle freight for the Seaboard Air Line, a forerunner of CSX, it served that purpose until the 1950s or early 1960s and was repurposed for various uses in the 1960s and 1970s. Over time, its original floors were removed, along with light fixtures, and other architectural elements.
I used to frequent musical festivals and plays in and on the grounds of this building, with Muse Arts Warehouse being housed there several years ago. Those will always be fond memories.
I think they should let the railroad museum have it and let them add more longer tours like the Tennessee valley railroad museum in Chattanooga Tennessee
Such a shame to see a piece of history disappear. That seems to be the case. Wait until a building is in such disrepair and then people will want to save it.
I am glad at least the “head house” portion of this building will be saved. It is a shame the entire building could not be restored and re-used. I worked at a family wholesale business just around the corner for a number of years, some 30-40 years ago, and went by this building every day. Many buildings on this westside of Savannah were built next to rail lines, as that was the primary means of shipping over long distances, before the interstate system was built, leading to a massive expansion of the long-haul trucking industry.
This once would have been a handsome building. The open doors on both sides of the building would have allowed for some air flow, on breezy days, in the days before air conditioning. Buildings like this were hot and humid during the heat of southern summers. There often wasn’t much in the way of heating, either, during the winters — which were thankfully usually short in our area, and often mild. Coats and jackets were worn all day long when the weather got cold, even inside.