Live Oak CPRR Depot
I am an historical architect retained by the City of Live Oak to Rehabilitate their small railroad depot. It is on the line of the original California and Oregon RR from Marysville to Portland started in the 1860's but taken over by CP after financial difficulties. The C & O reached Live Oak and staged materials there but the Depot was not constructed until 1882 by CP. The Depot was abandoned by SP, CP's successor in the mid 1950's and it has been deteriorating since then. The City has reached an Agreement with now Union Pacific to get the building off their right-of-way and we have obtained approvals from the Keeper of the National Register for the move 40' adjacent to the tracks. The building is now moved and work is well underway but I find that the exterior paint colors under the flaking Colonial Yellow typical of SP are more typically Eastlake...dark mustard for the body. So I am changing my Treatment recommendations for the color pallette from standard SP to the historic pallette building off of the dark mustard.
Do you folks have any information about what colors those very early CP depots would have been painted? ...
—Judy Irvin, Historical Architect
posted from CPRR Discussion Group at 1:40 PM
3 Comments:
Also see, Southern Pacific Depot Colors.
From: wem@onetel.com
You need to retain the services of a historic paint analyst, who will examine the paint on the building and determine the colors worn at different periods through the years. The dark mustard you describe is not Eastlake. It was a dark amber wainscot trim color – generally sanded – used on SP depots from the 1890s until well into the 20th century. I can tell you that you can expect to find at least two, and possibly more, earlier schemes on the building. You'll then need to determine what the appropriate scheme is for the period to which you're restoring/rehabilitating – but again, a good paint analyst can guide you there.
John Snyder, Principal
P.S. Preservation Services
From: "Judy Irvin" judy.irvin@att.net
Thanks for the information! Unfortunately, hiring an historic paint consultant is a little out of the budget. Most of the work is being done by interns. I think any of the original paint colors from the period of significance would be fine ... including the Colonial yellow ... based on what the City of Live Oak (the owner) wants to convey.
I really appreciate all of the research you all have done. I had no idea that the Benicia Depot (1889) was originally the color of the California poppy. It has been restored with the standard SP yellow. I think it would be nice to distinguish the depots built before 1906 by painting them the original colors. The Treatment for our Depot is Rehabilitation, not Restoration. Since it is being placed in a new use, the interiors will be changing quite a bit. The exterior will stay pretty much the same with new features distinguished.
—Judy
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