Ithaca station (Lehigh Valley Railroad) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lehigh Valley Railroad Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in New York Show map of New York Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	W. Buffalo St. and Taughannock Blvd., Ithaca, New York
Area	2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built	1898
Architect	A. B. Wood
Architectural style	Classical Revival, Romanesque
NRHP reference No.	74001311
Added to NRHP	December 31, 1974

The Lehigh Valley Railroad Station is a special old building in Ithaca, New York. It used to be a busy train station where people caught trains. Today, it's still an important part of Ithaca's history.

Lehigh Valley Railroad Station: A Historic Building

This amazing building is located at 806 West Buffalo Street in Ithaca, Tompkins County, New York. It was built a long time ago, in 1898.

Designed for Travel

The station was designed by a local architect named A. B. Wood. It was built by the Lehigh Valley Railroad company. The station actually had two main parts. There was a Passenger Station for people and a Freight Station for goods.

The Passenger Station looks very grand. It has a style called Classical Revival, which means it looks like old Greek or Roman buildings. It also has a bit of a Romanesque feel, which uses rounded arches. It's a big, square building with extra parts for handling luggage. At one corner, there's an entrance and a cool street clock. This clock is on a fancy column. The main waiting room has a sloped roof and a covered entrance for cars.

The Freight Station was a long building. It was painted gray and had two stories in one section. The rest was a long area for storing freight.

Famous Trains and Busy Days

Many famous trains used to stop at this station. Some of these included the Black Diamond, the Maple Leaf, and the Star. These trains carried passengers to different cities.

From Trains to Trust

The Lehigh Valley Railroad Station was used as a passenger station for many years. It was a busy place until 1961, when trains stopped picking up passengers there.

In 1966, a local person named Joseph O. Ciaschi bought the building. He was important in saving old buildings in the area. He turned the abandoned station into a restaurant called "The Station." This restaurant was very popular for many years.

The restaurant closed in September 2005. After that, the building was changed again. It became a branch office for the Chemung Canal Trust Company, which is a bank from Elmira, New York.

A Recognized Landmark

Because of its history and unique design, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. This list helps protect important historical places in the United States.