(The following report appeared on the Sun-Herald website on April 19.)
VENICE, Fla. — The historic Venice train depot, a building that has been a gateway for thousands coming to Venice, will celebrate its 80th birthday today at 6:30 p.m.
There will be tours of the facility, comments from County Commissioner Shannon Staub, Venice Mayor Fred Hammett and President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Don Hahs.
Built in 1927 by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, the train depot was a key access point for people coming to Sarasota County. For the next 44 years visitors, workers, military personnel and circus performers would arrive or depart from the depot until passenger rail service was discounted in 1971.
For the next six years the depot sat dormant until Sarasota County bought it in 1998 and worked to fix it over the next five years. Today it continues to serve the residents of Sarasota County in those capacities. It also is home to a renovated Pullman car that features railroad memorabilia as well as a statue of Gunther Gebel-Williams, world famous lion trainer.