Georgia Railroad Freight Depot Built in 1869, the Georgia Railroad freight depot is the oldest building in downtown Atlanta. Constructed four years after the Civil War ended, the structure was designed by Corput and Bass, an Atlanta architectural partnership that contributed several buildings to the recovering city and its environs. Max Corput also designed Atlanta's second Union Station, completed in 1871. The western end, shown below, originally featured an Italianate three-story office block topped by a cupola. After a 1935 fire the upper two floors were removed. (The whale-themed mural is on the wall of a large parking garage next door to the depot.) When the Georgia General Assembly is in session, the depot is the scene of many legislative banquets, luncheons, and receptions. It is also available for weddings, receptions, and other events. Although the French doors with their delicate fanlights are a bit out of place on a freight depot, the building's rehabilitation as a banquet facility is a huge improvement over its 1970s use as a parking garage. Much of the credit for this improvement is due to the late Steve Polk, a former director of the Georgia Building Authority and a railfan, who understood that railroad heritage and economic development can be effective partners. The plaza beside the depot is named for Polk. (Central Avenue at Alabama Street, next to Underground Atlanta).  Georgia's Railroad History & Heritage. Copyright, Steve Storey. Railroad History | The Depot List | Locomotives On Display | Odds & Ends | Sources & References | Home