Tehachapi News

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The charred remains of Tehachapi’s historic train depot were still smoldering when city residents, some near tears, vowed to rebuild the beloved site.
 “It’s like losing a loved one. It’s part of the heart and soul of the city,” said Tehachapi native Ed Grimes, 65, a member of the city council and former mayor.
“This is the most hurtful thing I’ve ever seen,” agreed fellow council member Linda Vernon.
The 104-year-old building, often described asTehachapi’s centerpiece, was being remodeled as a museum and tourist attraction when it was destroyed in a 2-alarm fire last Friday at 3 a.m. It took 24 Kern county fire fighters 76 minutes to control the blaze. The heat was so intense that the nearby Tehachapi clock melted, prompting several observers to say it looked like a Salvador Dali painting.
Jim Eckroth, public information officer with the fire department, estimated the loss at over $1 million for the structure and contents, “but the historic value of the building to the community cannot be measured.”
Built in 1904, the depot was one of more than 60 built between 1896 and 1916 using a Southern Pacific Railroad design known as Plan No. 23. Only six of those depots were left, and Tehachapi’s was reportedly the only one left on its original site. It survived the 1952 Tehachapi earthquake was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Three years ago, the city took over the building from Union Pacific Railroad and received a $250,000 federal grant to preserve the building. Ironically, the depot was about to have a sprinkler system completed when the fire struck.
Cause of the fire is still under investigation. Tehachapi Police Chief Jeff Kermode said that about three weeks ago there was a small spontanious combustion from rags that had been used to varnish the floor, but that the rags had been in cans out in front of the depot and didn’t cause any damage.
“At that time the fire crew walked through the building with the construction supervisor  and gave them suggestions on storage,” Kermode said. “They went out and bought a metal container for those rags, so since that time they have certainly been very cognizant of the risks inside the building.”
One of those directly affected by the fire was Michelle Vance, executive director of Main Street Tehachapi, an organization responsible for revitalizing downtown.
Surveying the scene, she held her head in disbelief and said, “I was ready to start moving my office in next week.”
Vance was to occupy the corner office in the remodeled depot, which many friends had told her was “the best office in the whole town.” That charred corner is all that remains or the entire structure.
But, many residents and city officials expressed a determination to rebuild.
Interim City Manager Greg Garrett  said, “It's a terrible historic tragedy but we will move on we will move forward.”
Noting that the building was covered by insurance, he predicted that it would be rebuilt in time for the city’s centennial celebration next year. Others agreed.
“This is Tehachapi,” said Grimes, who can remember when the original depot still had passenger service. “We’re going to go on. We need to start rebuilding this project as soon as we can. It helps to heal the wound. I think the people will rally around. We are not going to let something like this stop us. We've got to rise above like a phoenix from the ashes.”
Fellow council member and Tehachapi native Phil Smith also predicted support. 
“I know the community will get behind us 100 percent and we will start over. It’s heart wrenching and taken the heart out of out community but we’ll put it back. We will rebuild it ... we're going to rally and rebuild.”
Mayor Deborah Hand, who was out of town when the fire struck, said, “It’s very frustrating for me to be out of town and not there. I’m praying for our community, my heart is there... Somehow we will grow stronger from this.” 
Charles White, of the Tehachapi Heritage League, told Grimes, Smith and City Construction Project Manager Mike Pera that he was going to check the federal regulations to see if they can retain the “historic building” designation. He asked Pera to keep the last remaining wall panels standing and not tear them down, as they might affect the designation. Pera put up retaining beams.
In addition to melting the city clock, the intense heat from the fire cracked windows at Gallery ‘N Gifts, Four Hearts Quilts, Trains Etc., Mountain Antique and Collectibles, and Kelcy's restaurant sign. It also melted the seams in the green awnings over the stores.