Opened with the intent to impress travelers on their way to Chicago in 1893 for the World’s Columbian Exposition, the station at Niles continues to serve and impress today. Niles is a major stop on the former Michigan Central Railroad, which was one of the several components of the late, great New York Central. Architects Spier and Rohns designed the large stone structure centering it on a tall clock tower nearly 68 feet high, capped with a steep, pyramid shaped roof. The clock itself was an impressive piece of machinery, manufactured by the Boston firm of E. Howard Watch & Clock. The clock faces are five foot in diameter, and at night can be seen from a far distance. Designed in a Romanesque style of architecture out of Ohio brown stone, the depot has withstood the ravages of one hundred years of use. The interior was lavishly furnished using oak wainscoting and ceilings. Other details included stained glass windows, and liberal use of brass and terra-cotta fixtures .

The station occupies a prominent location in town, and at one time was renowned for beautifully maintained gardens. The station name would be spelled out in flowers. Greenhouses were located nearby that the railroad used to furnish flowers for dining cars and the fine depot restaurant. The greenhouses were removed in 1935. A separate express building also handled the baggage department, and was joined to the station by a covered walkway. The main building housed a restaurant, and an apartment above was provided for the restaurant manager. At one time, prior to the current station, Niles was classified as an "eating station" before dining cars became the norm.