Maumee Clover Leaf Debot (circa 1880)
Once known as the Clover Leaf Depot, the train depot was built in 1888, servicing the Toledo and Grand Rapids Railroad. It's original location stood on Sophia Street, just west of Conant Street, in Maumee. The overhanging eaves, ornamental trusses, raised vertical boards, and decorative support brackets distinguish this station as Stick-Style architecture. The station became property of the Toledo, St. Louis, and Western Railway in circa 1900. In 1922-23, that line merged with the New York, Chicago, and St. Louis Railroad (better known as the Nickel Plate).
The stationmaster's office/telegraph room looked very similar to to the photo (below, right) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. For many residents in Maumee, the station provided a gateway to the world, a place to receive a telegraph message from San Francisco or a package from Shanghai, and an agency where one might purchase a ticket for rail passage to Mexico City or transatlantic service to Bremenaven, Germany.
Donated to the Maumee Valley Historical Society in 1971, the depot was restored through the efforts of diligent volunteers. Complementing the site is a freight car and caboose.