The Pere Marquette railroad built this depot when the railroad came to Sanford in 1870. It was originally located in town near the present-day site of the Sanford trail head of the Pere Marquette rails to trails. Use of the depot was discontinued in 1947. It was eventually acquired by private individuals and moved to the corner of old US 10 and West River Road, where it sat for a number of years in disrepair. Steve Hyer donated the depot to the Sanford Historical Society in 1984, and it was moved to the museum grounds that same year. Over the next several years, the depot was repaired and restored, with the roof repaired and the floor almost entirely rebuilt. The back of the depot was used for receiving and shipping various items by rail, while the front contained an office for the station master and a waiting room for passengers.