Coudersport station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad Station
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Station in September 2009
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | 201 S. West St., Coudersport, Pennsylvania |
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| Built | 1899 |
| Architect | Button, H.A. |
| NRHP reference No. | 76001673 |
| Added to NRHP | November 21, 1976 |
The Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad Station, also called the Coudersport Depot, is an old train station in Coudersport, Pennsylvania. It was built by the Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad in 1899. The station opened in January 1900. This was a busy time for the lumber industry in Potter County.
Later, the lumber business slowed down. In 1964, the Wellsville, Addison and Galeton Railroad bought the station. The station was closed in 1970. It stayed empty until 1975. Then, the town of Coudersport bought it. They fixed it up and added a new roof. The building is now used for town offices. On November 21, 1976, the station was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a list of important historical places.
The building is made of red brick and sandstone. It has a main part in the middle and two smaller parts, called wings. The center part is two and a half stories tall. Each wing is one and a half stories tall. The station has a special roof style called a bellcast gable roof. As of 2009, it serves as the office for the Coudersport town government. It is the only building left from the Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad.
Contents
History of the Coudersport Station
Potter County was created in Pennsylvania in 1804. Coudersport was settled in 1807. It became a town in 1848. Coudersport has been the main town, or county seat, of Potter County since 1835.
Early Railroad Plans
People first thought about building a railroad here in 1870. It was part of a bigger plan for the Jersey Shore, Pine Creek and Buffalo Railway. This railway was supposed to go from Williamsport to Buffalo, New York. It would pass through Coudersport. But a money crisis in 1873 stopped the work. Some parts of the track were started in 1874 and 1875.
Building the Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad
In the early 1880s, the plan for the railroad was sold. In October 1882, the Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad opened. It was a Narrow gauge railway, meaning its tracks were closer together. The line was about 17 miles long. It ran between Coudersport and Port Allegany, Pennsylvania.
In 1889, the railroad tracks were made wider. This changed them to standard gauge. Six years later, the line was made longer. It went east to Newfield Junction. There, it connected with the Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad. The line then went to Ulysses, Pennsylvania. This part became part of the New York Central Railroad in 1899. By 1900, the western end in Port Allegany connected with the Pennsylvania Railroad. This meant the Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad linked two major train lines.
The Station's Construction and Use
The Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad started building a new station in 1899. It opened in January 1900. The basic building cost $6,000. Another $2,000 to $4,000 was spent on things like plumbing. Coudersport's population grew a lot around this time. It went from 1,525 people in 1890 to 3,217 in 1900. This was also when the lumber industry was very busy.
Changes and Restoration
The lumber industry started to decline after 1900. In 1924, the line to Ulysses was closed. In 1942, a flood damaged the western part of the line. The railroad then only connected through Newfield Junction. In 1964, the Wellsville, Addison and Galeton Railroad bought the line. They finally closed the railroad and the station on December 8, 1970.
The town of Coudersport bought the station in 1975. They fixed it up and put on a new roof. On November 21, 1976, the station was added to the National Register of Historic Places. As of 2009, the building is used as the police station and offices for the Coudersport town government. It is the only building left from the original Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad.
About the Station Building
The Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad Station is built from red brick. It also uses local sandstone. The bottom three feet of the walls are made of sandstone. The rest of the walls are brick. There are two brick chimneys on each end of the middle section.
Building Design
The building has a main section in the middle. This part is two and a half stories tall. On each side, there is a smaller wing. Each wing is one and a half stories tall. The station is about 100 feet long. The main section is 30 feet wide. Each wing is 20 feet wide.
The windows and doors on the first floor have rounded tops. The windows on the second floor are rectangular. The station has a special roof design. It's called a bellcast gable roof. This roof goes all the way around the first story of the main section and both wings. A second bellcast gable roof goes around most of the second story.
Original Use of Rooms
When it was first built, the main part of the first floor was the ticket office. It also had a waiting area for travelers. One wing had a waiting room just for women. The other wing was used for storing baggage.
The second floor had two small private offices. It also had a large office for the superintendent and his helpers. There were two small storage rooms as well. The third story of the center section was used for storage. The building had both electric and gas lighting. It also had gas heating.
