Los Angeles, CA

In the first decades of the 20th century, Los Angeles was booming. Abundant sunshine, moderate temperatures, and economic opportunities drew residents from across the country. As the city grew, the need for one consolidated passenger rail facility became evident. The region’s three major railroads—Southern Pacific, Union Pacific and the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe—therefore joined forces to finance and build a Union Station, which opened to the traveling public in May 1939.

Plans were drafted by the famous father and son duo of John and Donald Parkinson. Drawing on the region’s historic Spanish past, which was often romanticized in popular culture, the architects created an interesting blend of Spanish Colonial and Mission Revival motifs that were modernized through the streamlined aesthetic of popular Art Deco design. The latter was especially suited to a train station, since its sleek lines emphasized movement, and it often incorporated innovative new materials and finishes.

The station represents a Los Angeles that had finally come into its own as a cultural and economic powerhouse. Inside, passenger areas incorporate vivid color schemes executed in rich woods, marbles, and materials such as linoleum. Outside, enclosed garden patios and courtyards invite travelers to soak up the sun, and tall palms throw shadows on the whitewashed walls. Hunger could be satisfied with a visit to the famous Harvey House restaurant, whose interior was designed by Mary Coulter; the room’s large floor was laid out in a zigzag pattern meant to resemble a Navajo blanket.

Union Station sits adjacent to the site of the original Los Angeles settlement founded in1781 by Felipe de Neve, a Spanish governor. The small pueblo, whose original title was "The Town of Our Lady, the Queen of the Angels of Porciúncula," consisted of 44 settlers of mixed cultural backgrounds. It remained under Spanish rule until 1821, when Mexico won independence from Spain. Mexico’s hold over the California region was brief, and it was transferred to the United States after the Mexican-American War.

During World War II, numerous troop trains moved through the station. As America's defense industries increased accordingly with the needs of the military, so too did job opportunities in the Los Angeles area. Union Station was a major gateway through which these defense workers arrived in California. Today, the facility and its surrounding area are undergoing redevelopment to include new office, retail, entertainment, and residential space. It remains a true transportation hub that serves intercity passenger and commuter rail, subway, and local and regional bus lines