Project365: Day 44 - Door Number Two

Day 44 - Door Number Two, originally uploaded by Tim Bungert.

I must have some unconscious attraction to endangered old buildings in Des Moines.

At the peak of passenger train travel, the depots in Downtown Des Moines saw more than 60 trains daily. Of the four depots that once served the city, only two still remain. The larger Rock Island Depot has been re-purposed into publishing offices and a very good German restaurant. The East Side Union Depot (pictured) has been severely neglected.

As train travel increased, it became to clear that the East Side Depot was too small to handle large numbers of passengers and was later abandoned. The building is currently used as a storage facility, but its condition continues to deteriorate.

This one will surely be the subject of more photos this year as the seasons change and the trees, grasses, and vines continue working to swallow the building.