Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio (CC&O) - Johnson City Depot

The Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway, which began as the Charleston, Cincinnati and Chicago Railroad, was built specifically to haul coal.  George L. Carter bought the 3C's, reorganized it as the South and Western, then in 1908, with substantial financial backing, rebranded as the CC&O.

With his headquarters in Bristol, Carter began searching for a suitable location in Johnson City.  The Carnegie office building, later Empire Furniture, was first occupied by Carter in the vicinity of Fairview Avenue and Broadway.  Unable to find enough land to accommodate, Carter decided to locate the yard, shops and an operating department in Erwin. 

In 1912, Carter moved his office from the Carnegie building to the Love-Thomas building on Ashe Street.  

The Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Depot located at 300 Buffalo Street, Johnson City, was built in 1908 in the Colonial Revival style.   Detailed information about the depot is given in a National Register of Historic Places Report, dated March 2008, from the [AVF] Appalachian Vertical Files listed under Railroads-Tennessee, East. Described as a good example of 20th century railroad architecture, the period of significance for this building was from 1908 to 1955.  Buffalo Street was a significant thoroughfare, in the 1920s, on which all three train stations connected: CC&O, ET&WNC, and Southern Railway.

Constructed by Clinchfield Railroad Engineers, the building consisted of heavy duty concrete and oversized timbers for the foundation, brick walls, and a built-up, asphalt shingle roof.  The report describes this depot as one of the more important Clinchfield depots constructed, because freight was handled in the same facility.  

There were two sections to the depot: a 5800 square foot, two-story passenger station, which featured arched doorways and prominent pilasters on the outside.  The inside contained wood trim, wainscoting, column caps, and starburst patterned glass transoms.  Walls were 1" x 3" beveled edge tongue and groove plain face wainscoting.  The first floor featured nine-over-one, double-hung sash windows. A covered walkway led from the main entrance to the passenger platform. 

There were separate entrances, waiting areas, and bathrooms for whites and African Americans.  At one time, the central door facing Buffalo Street was designated as an entrance for white ladies and children only, for protection, according to Clinchfield Historian James Goforth, from the more unsavory characters that might be encountered on the rail. 

The second floor of the passenger station, used for eight separate office spaces, featured a central double-loaded hallway.  The walls were the same as the first floor, however, according to the report, the upstairs hallway is a unique display of eye-level to ceiling fixed and moveable glass transoms.  The overall effect of this in daylight hours is quite special, as the light from outside the building traverses the entire second floor through what is, in effect, a partial glass wall. Eight regularly spaced, six-over-six double-hung sash windows were set in arched openings.

The second section, a 6000 square foot, one-story freight house/depot with a loading platform, consisted of a basic, purely functional design.  Masonry walls with wooden trusses support a gabled roof.  A large open space, the freight house contained partitioned spaces for baggage and express, and also horse freight.  The flooring was yellow pine. 

The uniqueness of the CC&O Depot is the all-encompassing combination design of a two-story passenger service with office space on the second floor, adjoinging freight service, and interchange service, which transferred freight from one rail to the other.  The CC&O had the only two-story depot.  Because of this, the freight office was a beehive of activity.  This depot is credited with spurring the growth of Johnson City's commercial development, because it handled more freight and shipped out more products than either Southern or ET&WNC. 

April, 1954, was the date of the last passenger train for the CC&O.   The CC&O merged with Seaboard Coast Line Railroad in 1983, and became the CSX or Chessie Seaboard System.  The building was used as a yard office until 1985.

In a Johnson City Press article dated, January, 2002, also from the AVF [Appalachian Vertical Files] listed under Railroad Stations, this depot was listed on the Tennessee Preservation Trust's "Ten in Tennessee" as one of 10 most endangered sites. 

Another Johnson City Press article in the AVF Railroad file from 2004, quoted CSX's regional vice president who said, You know, a society isn't judged on what it creates, but also what it refuses to destroy.  City Manager Mike West expressed his delight of the acquistion stating: I support the efforts to preserve that part of Johnson City's history.  Trains were what built Johnson City.  Once we lose a historic building it is always gone.

With just 30 days to spare before demolition was to commence, the building was finally rescued by Dorian Jones, who filed a report in 2008 with the National Register of Historic Places.

This drawing from the James A. Goforth Collection outlines the Clinchfield crossing signals for Buffalo, Spring and Roan Streets.

Map of the Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway Connections, 1924

The former CC&O Depot today looks remarkably as it did when it was first built in 1908.  This was not without considerable effort and restoration which was completed in 2012.  Tupelo Honey and Fleet Feet shared the building for a few years.  Today the old depot currently houses BURG'r and BARREL in the one-story freight portion of the building (330 Cherry Street), and the Johnson City Convention and Business Bureau in the two-story passenger portion (302 Buffalo Street). The first floor is the visitor's center, and the second floor is offices. 

The first floor has an original portico with tiles, brackets, and two, six-over-six windows on the left and right, two smaller two-over-two windows on each side of the entrance door with an arched solid window, all with arched brick hood moldings.  The second floor has five, six-over-six windows with arched brick hood moldings divided between four brick column piers.  Three-sided concrete steps lead up to the entrance.

The wooden portico has a tile roof with brackets and covers a three-sectioned glass door.  The windows and doors are ornamented with arched brick hood moldings.  

This view of the former CC&O Depot is from West State of Franklin and exhibits a row of eight, six-over-six windows with flat concrete sills and arched brick hood moldings.  The first floor has five six-over-one windows.  Three-sided concrete steps lead up to the side entrance door.  Another entrance is accessed via the wooden platform.

The railroad tracks are visible on the right of the wooden platform which extends to the end of the building.

Raking eaves and straight brackets have been restored.  

Awning and polyarch brackets on the front of the building facing Buffalo Street.  

This view of the former CC&O Depot is from Cherry Street. The top row of eight, six-over-six windows with flat concrete sills and arched brick hood moldings matches the side facing West State of Franklin.  The first floor has a mixture of six-over-one windows with arched brick hood moldings, two bay and three regular.

An ornamental ledge with six tiered rows of brick surround the upper floor near the roof.  Six brick piers adorn each side, and four brick piers adorn the front.

View of the freight section of the former CC&O Depot.  Note that the new wooden doors are made to accomodate the shape of the old freight doors on both the side and the front.  Raking eaves and brackets, and brick piers are on each side of the doors.  

View of the former CC&O Depot platform from the former ET&WNC Depot with the extended train platform.

Full view of the former CC&O Depot from the former ET&WNC Depot.