NIOTA (WATE) - The city of Niota will receive a $156,800 transportation enhancement grant for its Depot Restoration Project, officials announced Wednesday.
The Niota Depot, which was constructed in 1854, is the oldest standing train depot in Tennessee. It presently serves as Niota City Hall.
The Depot Restoration Project will make repairs to the stone and brick foundation and restore the baggage room doors.
The antebellum depot played critical roles in East Tennessee's railroad history, the Civil War, and late 19th and early 20th century textile industries.
"The building's restoration and adaptive reuse can create a more vibrant and economically sustainable downtown and will bring new visitors to the area each year," said Gov. Bill Haslam in a press release.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation has funded more than $270 million in non-traditional transportation projects through transportation enhancement grants.
The Niota Depot (source: Tennessee Preservation Trust)
