The historic L&N paaasenger station in Annistom, AL was destroyed by fire Sunday. It was privately owned and used as a business.

ANNISTON, Ala. (AP) -- A fire has destroyed a train depot in
Anniston listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Anniston fire Capt. Chris Collins said firefighters received the call at 3 a.m. Sunday and arrived to find fire shooting through the roof from the largest part of the L&N train depot, which is more
than a century old. Collins said the building is a complete loss.The fire had been burning for some time before the call came in. Firefighters battled the fire through the early morning hours and did not leave the scene until 11 a.m. Collins said the fire's cause was not immediately determined.

Jim and Ann Stephenson bought the passenger depot building in
1995 from architect Julian Jenkins, according to Anniston Star
archives.

This wasn't the ancient depot south of downtown Anniston in the little suburb of Oxford, was it??

Not according to the RR Station Historical Society database (a really useful resource for this kind of thing) at http://www.rrshs.org/Alabama/calhounal.htm ; the Oxford depot was a SR structure.

No, it was not the depot in Oxford. It was the passenger depot in Anniston that was burned. Though I have not gotten confirmation yet, it was the passenger portion not being used for anything. The Freight Depot is the one that has a couple of businesses in it. It supposedly is ok.

Why do fires always seem to happen in the middle of the night? Ours claimed a lifetime's worth of motion picture film and stills. Sad when they take an historic structure too.

Because the sorry SOB's that can't hold a job and live in the closed up structures light fires using whatever is available and fall off into a drunkun sleep and then literally "burn the house down", that's why.

And most of the owners, as is the case with the Anniston Depot, and cities don't care, as it's just a burden on them. Once it's burned, they can bulldoze the remains, then sale the land off for some money making scheme. While the buildings are still standing, all they are to the owners or city leaders are a liability.

As a follow up, you want to see a good example???

Here is a shot from my website showing the great looking ACL Depot that stood in Roanoke, AL on the CSX Lineville Subdivision until recently:
http://www.alabamarailpics.com/files/SALROAN.jpg

Now, see what happens when vagrants are allowed by authorities to occupy those same buildings:
http://www.railroadforums.com/photos/sh ... hoto=52116

I believe shotguns are in order here.