• Dr. Melvil Dewey talked the Atlantic Coastline R.R. into building this new depot in 1926
• These days South Central Florida Express freight trains regularly pass through town
• The depot is on the National Historic Registry and home to the Lake Placid Historical Society

The railroad was as important to Lake Placid as it was anywhere else, bringing both tourists and freight. 

This mural was painted by a father and son team from Chemainus, B.C., the town that originally inspired our mural project.  Dan and Peter Sawatsky replicated pen and ink style to create an oncoming engine that bears down on you as you walk past, complete with authentic sound. 

In 1912, the Atlantic Coastline Railroad decided to extend their track south of Haines City.  They reached Sebring on June 14th.  Four years later, they reached town and named the stop,Weco. 

Railroading around here has gone through many changes.  Henry Plant bought some bankrupt companies in Georgia and South Carolina and put together the Savannah, Florida and Western Railroad.  By 1902, Plant's trains were rolling on 1,665 miles of track. 

Then Atlantic Coastline took over.  This depot was built in 1926, about a year before Melvil Dewey persuaded the state to change the name of the town from Lake Sterns to Lake Placid. 

These days, South Central Florida Express freight trains regularly pass through town, serving southern Florida's thriving industries. 

The depot is home to the Lake Placid Historical Society.  In 1993, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places and became the area's historical museum.