Opening in September of 2015, The Deport is a fine dining restaurant serving the freshest of seafood from a globally-inspired menu. Patrons appreciate the quality of their fried crustaceans and their family-friendly atmosphere, but they may not realize the significance of the actual construction of the restaurant – which began as none other than Auburn’s third railroad depot.
Before The Depot was founded, it was a train station. Built in 1847, the station served as a Confederate transportation route during the Civil War, stretching from Lee County to Selma, Montgomery and even Atlanta. In 1864, Major General Lovell Harrison Rousseau of the Union Army led an attack on the railroad tracks to interrupt the flow of military supplies to the Confederates. The tracks were left in shambles until the conclusion of the war in 1865.
In 1870, a second depot was constructed from the remains but, this time, acted as a popular transportation option for travelers and served as the primary transit system in and out of the city. This station was seen as a landmark for Auburn University students – as many times, they would ride the train and arrive in Auburn for their upcoming educational journey.
In 1896, Auburn students took the opportunity to grease the train tracks, causing the train carrying their rivals – Georgia Tech – to slide almost a mile past the station and forcing them to trek all the way back to town. Going on to beat the Yellow Jackets 45-0, this act began the long celebrated tradition of the Wreck Tech Pajama Parade, when Auburn students would march in their pajamas through downtown Auburn with floats before their football games.
After the depot was struck by lightning and burned down, a third depot was built in 1904, designed by one of Auburn’s own architecture students, Ralph Dudley. Keeping the typical Victorian style of the early 20th century, this depot was designed to revive the Romanesque architectural style.
Even as the amount of people needing to travel by train dwindled due to car and plane travel options, this depot stayed open for another 66 years to welcome passengers to the Loveliest Village on the Plains. It finally closed in 1970.
After being used by small businesses for another 30 years, the depot fell into disrepair and was nearly forgotten. However, in 2013, Matt and Jana Poirier, owners of Auburn’s restaurant The Hound, recognized its historical significance and partnered with the City of Auburn and chef Scott Simpson – who now serves as founding partner and strategic culinary advisor of The Depot – to transform the building into the success it is today. The Poirers maintained the soul of the original structure by restoring the black and white floor tiles and the 200-year-old heartwood pine train platforms, repurposing them into unique aspects of the restaurant, including the chef’s table, the bar and the hostess stand.
Whether as Auburn’s main transportation hub or as one of Auburn’s most popular restaurants, the Depot is part of Auburn’s rich history.
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