[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 126 (Monday, September 12, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 12, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
  THE HISTORIC BURLINGAME TRAIN STATION: 100 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE 
                               COMMUNITY

                                 ______


                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 12, 1994

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, this September 17 marks the anniversary of a 
major event in the development of the San Francisco Bay area--the 
opening of the Burlingame Train Station 100 years ago. This station 
transported both people and businesses to the region and launched the 
formation of both the town of Burlingame, as well as the neighboring 
town of Hillsborough.
  This historic site will now celebrate 100 years of continuous rail 
service to the town of Burlingame. I applaud the combined efforts of 
the community, the Burlingame Historical Society, and the Burlingame 
Train Station Centennial Celebration Committee in bringing the 
appropriate attention to this momentous occasion.
  The extraordinary history of this landmark began in 1893 when it was 
commissioned by the Burlingame Country Club and the Southern Pacific 
Co. The station's two architects, George H. Howard and J.B. Mathison, 
designed the building in the Spanish Mission Revival style. According 
to architectural historians, Burlingame Station has the dual 
distinction of being the first permanent building that incorporated all 
the elements of the Mission Revival style and is the last remaining 
building of this building style in the United States.
  At the time of the station's opening on October 10, 1894, the 
surrounding area was sparsely developed--in fact, the town of 
Burlingame didn't even exist. Burlingame Avenue, now a busy city 
street, was then just a tree-lined dirt road. The station's primary use 
was to deliver freight and passengers to the Burlingame Country Club. 
The new train service helped increase the area's population, which rose 
dramatically following the devastating San Francisco earthquake in 
1906.

  The station was also a boon to the local economy by establishing 
numerous businesses in the area. In 1907 and 1908, the Burlingame 
Woman's Club and the Burlingame Masonic Lodge held their charter 
meetings there as it was the only available location with the capacity 
to hold 50 people.
  In 1908, the town of Burlingame was established, and the increased 
growth around the Burlingame Country Club led that area to become a 
separate entity which soon became the town of Hillsborough. Shortly 
after these events, the Burlingame Train Station was transformed into a 
central hub for commuters to San Francisco.
  More recently, the efforts of the community have helped keep the 
station operative despite a variety of challenges. Among these 
challenges was a project in the late 1930's for ``straightening'' 
Burlingame Avenue which included plans for the station's demolition. 
Fortunately for the station, these plans were finally scrapped.
  The increased useage of cars, brought about by the construction of 
superhighways, made train travel less profitable. As a result, the 
Southern Pacific Co. went into the red and the station fell into 
disarray, its future looking bleak.
  The fate of the station turned when it became a California historic 
landmark in 1971. Just 3 years later, it was added to the U.S. 
Department of the Interior's National Register of Historic Places.
  Despite these achievements, the station remained in a state of 
neglect. Help then arrived in the form of both city and State funds and 
money donated by a volunteer civic group, rescuing the building from 
continued disrepair. The station was then restored and rededicated in 
1986.

  Mr. Speaker, today I invite my colleagues to join me in observing the 
centennial of an important California landmark that played an integral 
role in the development of the San Francisco Bay area. On December 10, 
1893, shortly after the station's commission, the San Francisco 
Chronicle referred to Burlingame as ``the prettiest station on the 
line.'' Today, over a century later, that statement still holds true.

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