Tamaqua station explained

Tamaqua
Type:Former Reading Railroad station
Style:Reading Company
Opened:1874
Closed:1961
Rebuilt:1880, 1885
Other Services Header:Former services
Address:18 N. Railroad St.,
Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Coordinates:40.798°N -75.9701°W
Architectural Style:Italianate
Nrhp:
Reading Railroad Passenger Station - Tamaqua
Embed:yes
Added:December 26, 1985
Refnum:85003164

The Tamaqua station is a disused railway station that is located in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Tamaqua Historic District.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 26, 1985, as the Reading Railroad Passenger Station-Tamaqua.

History and architectural features

19th century

This station was originally built by the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad in 1874, which had earlier acquired the Little Schuylkill Navigation, Railroad and Coal Company.[1] It is a one-story brick building that was designed in the Italianate style.

In 1880, an addition was made to the original 1874, giving it a T-plan. In 1885, a freight house was added.[2]

20th century

The station ceased train operations in 1961 and was formally abandoned in 1981.[3]

In 1984, a local family offered to purchase the railroad station and proposed that the building would be turned into a museum, similar to Steamtown, U.S.A. in Scranton.[4]

On December 26, 1985, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Reading Railroad Passenger Station--Tamaqua.

21st century

Following a $1.5 million restoration, the building was reopened in 2004 as a heritage center.[5]

In 2023, the station was featured on a USPS Forever stamp in a 5-stamp "Railroad Stations" series. The stamp illustrations were made by Down the Street Designs, and Derry Noyes served as the art director.[6]

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.tamaquastation.com/default.aspx?pageid=246 Tamaqua Railroad Station - Historical Chronology
  2. Web site: National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania . CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System . Searchable database . 2012-06-03 . 2005-09-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20050914194407/https://www.dot7.state.pa.us/ce/SelectWelcome.asp . dead . Note: This includes Web site: Michael Havrischak . August 1985 . [{{NRHP-PA|H064456_01H.pdf}} National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Reading Railroad: Passenger Station (Tamaqua) ]. 2012-06-03 . PDF .
  3. Book: Adams, Charles J. . Coal Country Ghosts, Legends and Lore . Exeter House Books . 2004 . 1-880683-20-2.
  4. News: RAIL STATION MAY BECOME A MUSEUM. October 11, 1984. Philadelphia Inquirer. B25 Local. 2008-11-14. 2012-10-14. https://web.archive.org/web/20121014213534/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PI&s_site=philly&p_multi=PI&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB2987DF896840D&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM. dead.
  5. Web site: History . February 5, 2010 . Tamaqua Railroad Station.
  6. News: October 24, 2022 . U.S. Postal Service Reveals Stamps for 2023 . United States Postal Service . October 26, 2022.