I.C. Depot in Ponchatoula, LA

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As a kid, I spent a fair amount of time in the small city of Ponchatoula, Louisiana back in the 50s and 60s. My maternal grandparents lived in that community, and their home was in viewing distance of the Illinois Central’s double track mainline. The north-south railroad divides the city in half, with streets having West and East prefixes. At the center of town is the train station, located between NW Railroad Avenue and NE Railroad Avenue, and bordered on the south by East Pine Street (West Pine Street after crossing the tracks).

This initial view of the depot was photographed ca.1940. Most of the Illinois Central passenger trains stopped here (depending on the “class” of the train).

Ponchatoula, La Depot - 1940s
The Illinois Central passenger depot in Ponchatoula, Louisiana. Small express and package freight was handled on the north end of the building. Note the double mainline, evidence of a busy railroad. Photo from the collection of the Illinois Central Historical Society, courtesy of Tom Davidson.

And here is another view of the depot recorded in September of 1979. We’re in the Amtrak era now, and the “new” City of New Orleans doesn’t stop in Ponchatoula, with the city of Hammond receiving that honor just a few miles north of here. The structure now serves as the “Country Market”. And it’s still in pretty good shape.

Ponchatoula, LA Depot
No longer serving train passengers, the depot is still hard at work as the Country Market, purveyors of many household decor and clothing items, much of it locally produced. Note the former Illinois Central combination RPO and baggage car just behind the building. It also serves as a retail outlet. Image by Michael M. Palmieri.

The depot is still there today, and still serves this same purpose. Indeed, it still looks essentially like this view some 45 years later!

3 thoughts on “I.C. Depot in Ponchatoula, LA”

  1. Jack,
    Do you have any idea why there is such a contrast in the shading of the bricks between the two photos? Was there a whitewash applied to the structure in the earlier picture?

    Matt

    • Matt, I really can’t answer that . . . I first became “aware” of the station in the early 50s as a very young child. Frankly, I don’t recall the color back then. But in later years (the 60s) I seem to recall it being the reddish color, which itself I believe is simply reddish paint. The depots in Hammond and Brookhaven still have the natural (unpainted) brick color, more of a reddish brown. I would assume that when the Ponchatoula depot was built, it matched that color, but was artificially colored (painted) somewhere along the way. And once brick has been painted or stained, you pretty much have to continue doing that to preserve a decent look.

      -Jack

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