Historic Railroad Depot Restoration/Flood Mitigation

The City of Fort Madison, in collaboration with BNSF, implemented a program to restore the old Santa Fe station built in 1910 for a new Amtrak waiting room and ticket office. The remainder of the building would continue to be used by the North Lee County Historical Society for museum exhibition and storage space. Due to recent flooding, the city decided to raise the historic brick building approximately four feet to an elevation above the 500 year flood level.
   
Carl A. Nelson & Company was selected to be the General Contractor to raise the depot and the old Railway Express Agency building. In addition, we also provided some minor interior remodeling which included new concrete main floors for all existing buildings. The project consisted of raising three brick structures and adding four (4) feet of new concrete foundations. With accurate scheduling and acute attention to detail for each lift, Carl A. Nelson & Company completed the raising of all buildings at the same time without damaging or cracking any structural and veneer masonry. The Santa Fe depot is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

After a 15-year absence, Amtrak service returned to the depot in December 2021. The completed project was the winner of an All-Star Community Award in 2022 from the Iowa League of Cities. 

Learn More About the Santa Fe Depot Renovation.