Lisle Depot

The 19th century invention of the railroad allowed for goods and freight to be sent over long distances. In Lisle, farmers produced milk, hogs, wool, flowers, and more, all sent to Chicago. People sent and received packages to and from other towns, including local businesses.

This is the original Waiting Room for people who were shipping their goods by train. Passenger travel was not common when the Depot was built, so the room did not need to be very large - just a few benches and one railroad potbelly coal stove to keep the area warm.

This was the office for the station’s manager, called the Station Master or Agent. The station master kept most of his work materials here, such as the ticket case, telegraph sounder and key, work desk, and a large bay window to monitor the tracks.

People did all kinds of transactions with the station master at the ticket window. You could purchase train tickets, send letters, mail and pick up packages, and even purchase money orders.

This large room was used as a temporary holding room for things being shipped into and out of Lisle. Locals dropped off their items on the front or back platform to be shipped and paid the station master.

These panoramas of the west side of Main Street were made by stitching together individual photos taken in 1961, 1980, 2006, and 2010. The first businesses were built here in the 1930s, when cars were becoming more popular for shipping than trains.

Many Burlington train depots contained a one-floor apartment for the station agent or others to rent. When the Lisle Depot was rebuilt in 1874, it was outfitted with a two-story apartment, which was uncommon and relatively luxurious.

In the earlier years of the Depot, formal parlors were very common. This space was used only for hosting guests and for family bible readings. As this practice became less common, later families living in the Depot used this as a living room.

The pantry was used for bulk food storage before and after cooking family meals. The Depot’s current basement was added when the building became a museum in the 1980s, but the doorway behind you used to lead to the apartment’s root cellar or ice cellar.

This common space was used for food preparation, family meal time, and even completing homework. The back door led outside to access the hand-powered water pump and the outhouse, shared with the station’s passengers and staff.

Burlington sometimes offered a discounted monthly rent for families that agreed to upkeep the building and grounds. These “Custodians” were responsible for sweeping, mopping, lighting the Waiting Room’s coal stove each morning, mowing the grass, and other tasks.

The Burlington Railroad renovated this building over the years based on the needs of the time. Different materials were added to suit the needs of workers and customers. Most of the renovations were placed on top of existing work, so much of the wood you see is original.