Union cavalry units destroyed the original wooden station building by fire during a fierce clash that lasted throughout the day. This engagement occurred just one day before General Robert E. Lee surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia to Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant.
The replacement structure burned down in 1923, leaving no trace of either the 1865 battlefield station or the 1898 replacement. The community constructed a new depot within a block of the original location after these two disasters forced them to rebuild.
Union forces needed to cut rail lines at this critical junction to stop Confederate reinforcements from reaching General Robert E. Lee's army. Without control of this specific point, military movements would have stalled or failed entirely because the railroad network served as the lifeline for both sides fighting across Virginia.
The surviving structure functions as the Appomattox Visitor Information Center for tourists and history enthusiasts who come from across the country. It houses an information center that explains the significance of the site and provides maps and photographs showing how the town looked during the war years.
The 1923 depot serves as a contributing property within the Appomattox Historic District. This designation recognizes its role in preserving the physical evidence of Civil War events while local authorities and historical societies work to maintain the structure for future generations.