The original depot/building standing in this location probably from 1874 to 1876 burned down because a steam engine oil spill and caught fire.  It was rebuilt in 1904 by Southern Pacific Railroad.  The Depot is a standard Southern Pacific design known as Plan No. 23. 
Only six of these depots are left.  Although it has been rebuilt again in 2010 due again to
a fire, the Tehachapi Depot is the only one still situated  at its original building site.  It is also one of the few buildings that remained standing  after the 1952 earthquake.  It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.