Union Station Kansas City: From Flood to Fabulous

In this installment of ‘Larger Than Life: Architecture Through the Ages,’ we visit a train depot built to impress.

Architect Jarvis Hunt’s use of Beaux-Arts style architectural elements is evident in the structure’s distinct masonry designs, triangular pediments on each end, and flanking carved classical wreaths. Three massive arched windows are punctuated by a monumental stone colonnade, or series of columns. It stands as an early 20th-century testament to classical architecture, while modern scale, materials, and design dominate Kansas City’s skyline. Courtesy of Roy Inman

In 1878, Union Depot, designed by Asa Beebe Cross, opened in Kansas City. The building was a mix of Second Empire and Gothic Revival styles, with towers, dormers, and arched windows. The building had a clock tower over the entrance.

In 1903, the Missouri River flooded, causing devastation of the Kansas City train depot. As a result, railroad executives decided to build a new train station on higher ground. Jarvis Hunt, an architect from Chicago was selected by a consortium of 12 railroad companies to design a Beaux-Arts style building. Opened in 1914, Union Station Kansas City was designed with practicality and safety in mind, but also to impress, from both inside and out.