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A train station was built on the site of Claire’s Restaurant in 1852. It served the Warrenton Branch, a run of about 9 miles southeast to what was then called the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. The connection there was known as the Warrenton Junction and was the scene of several skirmishes during the War Between the States.

The branch line likely served both armies – Warrenton changed hands as many as 67 times during the War. One of the fights at the Junction was an ill-fated raid initiated by the Grey Ghost, John Singleton Mosby, on May 3, 1863, during the Battle of Chancellorsville. His partisans were sent fleeing in an attack he later described as “a great error.” Mosby is buried in Warrenton.

In 1908 Southern Railway rebuilt the station in Warrenton replacing the original wood structure of the building with brick (for $4,167.97!). Passenger service ended in June of 1941. Freight trains to Warrenton stopped several decades later.

Photo Credits to Trinity Washington University
"Photo Credits to Trinity Washington University"

The building was converted into the Depot Restaurant in 1976. The platform on the east side of the building was enclosed. The space that became the kitchen on the south end was built on the footprint of what was once the baggage room. That area also served as one of two passenger sections back in the days when train stations in the South were segregated.

Photo Credits to Trinity Washington University
"Photo Credits to Trinity Washington University"

Claire Lamborne purchased the Depot in September of 2004, and made extensive renovations to the property. She retained many features reminiscent of a turn-of-the-century train station. The original wood window where passengers purchased tickets is still intact in one of the dining rooms. On a line of railroad track adjacent to the garden sits a weathered, but charming, red caboose.

Owner and executive chef Claire Lamborne was born and raised in Alexandria, Virginia. Her interest in food came early – as a teenager she cooked for her family (seven siblings) and their various circles of friends.

After college she became a teacher for Fairfax County Public Schools, but the lure of cooking was too strong. She gave up school texts for cookbooks, graduating from the l’Academie de Cuisine in 1981. She continued her studies by honing her skills in restaurant kitchens in San Francisco and the Caribbean. She was the proprietor of a restaurant in Charlottesville before starting Claire’s Catering in Warrenton in 1992, establishing a regional reputation for excellent service and imaginative menus.

When the opportunity to purchase the Depot Restaurant arose in 2004, she jumped at the chance. The deal done, she went to work refurbishing the building, from front to back. Claire made every attempt to retain the exterior look of the restaurant.


65 South Third Street | Warrenton, Virginia | 540.351.1616 | E-Mail Us