Michigan’s ‘Witch’s Hat’ Train Depots: A Gallery

You just don’t see this kind of depot anymore.....if ever.

There were a handful of depots throughout Michigan that had a roofing feature that resembled a witch’s hat, thus the name.

As to why? A definitive answer is hard to find. It’s a cone-shaped roof that some sites call ‘practical’. Okay, so how? I assume maybe it has something to do with rainfall...but many did not have gutters, so how could that help? More than likely, it was simply a unique shape to make these particular depots stand out from the others...and they sure did!

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Michigan may have had more, but the best-known ones were in Clarkston, Corunna, Fowler, Saranac, and South Lyon.

The South Lyon depot seems to get the most attention. It served the train-traveling public from the early 1900s to 1955. Finally, in 1976 it was transported to McHattie Park during the town’s bicentennial celebration. It is currently being used as a museum and community center.

The witch’s hat depot in Fowler has been bought and renovated into a private residence, keeping the original conical shape.
Scroll down to see some old photos!