Building History

The historic Union Depot was built in 1916 by architect Frank C. Burns on Elk Street in downtown Bellingham, Washington. Elk Street was subsequently changed to State Street in 1926 to reflect the metamorphosis from frontier town to metropolitan center. The building was originally built as the station for interurban electric streetcars and motor buses. Similar to today’s shuttle bus, the interurban “stage” service made connections to Whatcom County destinations such as Lynden and Ferndale. When the Union Depot opened in 1922, the interurban served 17 stage lines and completed 77 daily trips. Puget Sound Power & Light owned and operated the interurban, which ended passenger service in 1928 as buses ultimately proved more popular and cost efficient. Over the years many tenants have occupied the building in varying capacities. Aslan Brewing Co. acquired the lease in January of 2017 and 11 months later transformed the space into The Aslan Depot; barrelhouse and taproom for the Bellingham public to enjoy for years to come.

(Historic Photos by J.W. Sandison, courtesy Whatcom Museum)