The Southern Pacific Railroad erected this handsome building in 1905 to serve the growing Santa Barbara community and its resort hotels. The architect was Francis W. Wilson of Santa Barbara. Designed in the Mission Revival style, the station has been in continuous use ever since. The Wells Fargo Express Company constructed the building behind the station in 1906. It was later owned by the Railway Express Agency and provided mail and package distribution services into the 1960s. The signalman’s building southeast of the station was built in 1910 and was used as crew quarters. The railroad station was declared a city landmark in 1980. In 1995 the railroad depot property was purchased by the City of Santa Barbara Redevelopment Agency and was restored to its original grandeur in 1998–1999.
