Tamaqua station

Tamaqua
Tamaqua station in July 2010
General information
Location18 N. Railroad St.,
Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Coordinates40°47′53″N 75°58′12″W / 40.7980°N 75.9701°W / 40.7980; -75.9701
SystemFormer Reading Railroad station
Construction
Architectural style
Italianate
History
Opened1874
Closed1961
Rebuilt1880, 1885
Former services
Preceding station Reading Railroad Following station
Newkirk
toward Pottsville
 Schuylkill Valley Branch Terminus
Reading Railroad Passenger Station—Tamaqua
NRHP reference No.85003164[1]
Added to NRHPDecember 26, 1985
Location

The Tamaqua station is a historic railway station in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, that currently serves as a visitor center, restaurant[2], and boarding location for Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad excursion trains[3]. It is part of the Tamaqua Historic District.[1]

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.[4] 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.[5]

20th century

The station ceased train operations in 1961 and was formally abandoned in 1981.[6]

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.[7]

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.[8]

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.[9]

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ↑ "Tamaqua Train Station". Schuylkill River Greenways. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Train Schedule — Reading Blue Mountain & Northern: Passenger". Reading Blue Mountain & Northern. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  4. ↑ Tamaqua Railroad Station - Historical Chronology
  5. ↑ Michael Havrischak (August 1985). National Register of Historic Places Registration: Pennsylvania SP Reading Railroad Passenger Station--Tamaqua. National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved January 9, 2026. (Downloading may be slow.)
  6. ↑ Adams, Charles J. (2004). Coal Country Ghosts, Legends and Lore. Exeter House Books. ISBN 1-880683-20-2.
  7. ↑ "RAIL STATION MAY BECOME A MUSEUM". Philadelphia Inquirer. October 11, 1984. p. B25 Local. Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved November 14, 2008.
  8. ↑ "History". Tamaqua Railroad Station. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
  9. ↑ "U.S. Postal Service Reveals Stamps for 2023". United States Postal Service. October 24, 2022. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
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