This is the former Southern Railroad Passenger Depot in Oliver Springs. It was built in 1896 for $1,550.00. It now serves as the Oliver Springs Library and local archive repository. This was a busy railway station for many years. At one point, in addition to the 2 – 4 passenger trains each day that stopped here, there were 6 local ‘shopper’ trains that came through Oliver Springs going to and from Harriman and Knoxville.
The last passenger trains that stopped here were the “Carolina Specials”…the “Pride of the Southern”. They made that final trip on December 5, 1968.
There are a few displays both inside and outside of the Oliver Springs Depot. This is a Southern Railway caboose that was originally built in 1971…then it was refurbished by Oliver Springs in 1997.
So…why was this little town such a busy train hub? It’s all about tourism, coal and Oak Ridge. Starting back in the 1830’s, Oliver Springs was known for it’s mineral springs. Although earlier there had been several smaller hotels serving American & European tourists seeking the healing powers of the mineral waters, the town hit big time in 1895 when the luxury 150 room Oliver Springs Hotel was opened.
Unfortunately, the hotel burned down in 1905 and nothing was built to replace it… Coal kept the area busy for some time and then, during WWII, the construction of the nearby Oak Ridge complex led to additional rail traffic in support of that facility.
This nifty little 116+-year-old building is all that’s left of the Oliver Springs Hotel complex. It’s the former ticket booth where one paid for admission to the mineral springs. It now sits right next to the Southern Railway Depot/Library.
For photos and a bit more information on an earlier hotel as well as the 150 room building that burned down in 1905, check it out at http://www.oshistorical.com/articles/hotel.htm. The Depot itself is located at 610 Walker Avenue in Oliver Springs.
Oliver Springs, Tennessee 