A defunct New York Central freight house is located across the tracks from the depot.

Mentor station is on the National Register of Historic Places as the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern RR Depot and Freight House.

The station was acquired by the New York Central Railroad after merging with the LS&MS in 1914.

[citation needed] On June 21, 1905, at 9:05pm, an eastbound LS&MS-operated 20th Century Limited train hit an open switch near the depot.

The resulting crash destroyed the old freight depot, and caused the deaths of 21 people on the train.