Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad Station
Encyclopedia
The Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad Station (also known as the Coudersport Depot) is a railroad station in Coudersport
, Pennsylvania
in the United States. It was built by the Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad
in 1899 and opened in January 1900 during the lumber industry boom in Potter County. When the lumber ran out, the railroad's business decreased and in 1964 the line and station were purchased by the Wellsville, Addison and Galeton Railroad
. The station was abandoned in 1970 and was unoccupied until 1975, when the borough of Coudersport purchased it. The borough restored it and put a new roof on, then used the building for office space. The station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on November 21, 1976.
The structure is red brick and sandstone, with a central portion and two wings. The center is stories tall, each wing is stories. The depot has a bellcast gable roof all the way around on the ground floor and a second on much of the second story. it serves as the office building for the borough government of Coudersport, and is the only remaining structure from the Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad.
on March 26, 1804. Coudersport was settled in 1807 and incorporated as a borough from Eulalia Township
in 1848. Coudersport has served as the county seat
of Potter County since 1835.
The original plan for a railroad along the Allegheny River
between Coudersport and Port Allegany
was as a part of the Jersey Shore, Pine Creek and Buffalo Railway
(JSPC&B), which was incorporated on February 17, 1870. The JSPC&B was originally planned to run from the vicinity of Williamsport
west to Jersey Shore
, then north up Pine Creek
and down the Allegheny River past Coudersport and west to Port Allegany, as part of a larger route to Buffalo, New York
. The Panic of 1873
stopped work, although some grading of the proposed line was performed in 1874 and 1875.
In the early 1880s the route along the Allegheny River was sold and in October 1882 the narrow gauge Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad
opened on the 17 miles (27.4 km) line between Coudersport and Port Allegany. The railroad was converted to standard gauge
in 1889 and six years later the line was extended east to Newfield Junction (where it connected with the Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad
) and then on to a new eastern terminus at Ulysses
, where it linked with the Fall Brook Railway. This became part of the New York Central Railroad
system in 1899, and a year later the western terminus at Port Allegany connected with the Pennsylvania Railroad
, so the Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad connected the two major rail lines in that part of Pennsylvania.
The Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad began construction on a new station in 1899 and opened it in January 1900. The basic station building cost $6,000, with another $2,000 to $4,000 spent on plumbing and other amenities. Coudersport's population grew from 1,525 in 1890 to 3,217 in 1900, and this was also when the lumber industry was at its height. The lumber industry declined soon after, and in 1924 the line to Ulysses was abandoned. The western 9 miles (14.5 km) of the line to Port Allegany were destroyed in a 1942 flood and the railroad connected to other lines only through Newfield Junction. In 1964 the railroad was purchased by the Wellsville, Addison and Galeton Railroad
, which finally abandoned it and the station on December 8, 1970. The borough of Coudersport bought the station in 1975 and restored it, adding a new roof. The station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on November 21, 1976. As of 2009 it serves as the police station
and office building for the borough government of Coudersport, and is the only remaining structure from the Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad.
Originally the first story of the central section was the ticket office and waiting area, with a waiting room for women in one wing, and a room for baggage in the other wing. The second story had a two small private offices, a large office "for the superintendent and his assistants", and two small storage rooms. The third story of the center section was for storage. The building was built with both electric and gas lighting, and gas heat.
Coudersport, Pennsylvania
Coudersport is a borough in Potter County, Pennsylvania, east by south of Erie on the Allegheny River. The populations were these: 1,530 in 1890; 3,217 in 1900; and 3,100 in 1910. The population was 2,650 at the 2000 census...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in the United States. It was built by the Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad
Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad
The Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad was a short line railroad that operated in Potter and McKean Counites in Pennsylvania in the United States between 1882 and 1964. The original line ran along the Allegheny River between the boroughs of Coudersport, the county seat of Potter County, and...
in 1899 and opened in January 1900 during the lumber industry boom in Potter County. When the lumber ran out, the railroad's business decreased and in 1964 the line and station were purchased by the Wellsville, Addison and Galeton Railroad
Wellsville, Addison and Galeton Railroad
The Wellsville, Addison and Galeton Railroad was formed in 1954 to operate a section of Baltimore and Ohio Railroad trackage which had been isolated from the rest of the system by a 1942 flood. This trackage was acquired by the B&O as part of the purchase of the Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad...
. The station was abandoned in 1970 and was unoccupied until 1975, when the borough of Coudersport purchased it. The borough restored it and put a new roof on, then used the building for office space. The station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on November 21, 1976.
The structure is red brick and sandstone, with a central portion and two wings. The center is stories tall, each wing is stories. The depot has a bellcast gable roof all the way around on the ground floor and a second on much of the second story. it serves as the office building for the borough government of Coudersport, and is the only remaining structure from the Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad.
History
Potter County was formed from part of Lycoming CountyLycoming County, Pennsylvania
-Appalachian Mountains and Allegheny Plateau:Lycoming County is divided between the Appalachian Mountains in the south, the dissected Allegheny Plateau in the north and east, and the valley of the West Branch Susquehanna River between these.-West Branch Susquehanna River:The West Branch of the...
on March 26, 1804. Coudersport was settled in 1807 and incorporated as a borough from Eulalia Township
Eulalia Township, Pennsylvania
Eulalia Township is a township in Potter County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 941 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , all of it land....
in 1848. Coudersport has served as the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Potter County since 1835.
The original plan for a railroad along the Allegheny River
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
between Coudersport and Port Allegany
Port Allegany, Pennsylvania
Port Allegany is a borough in McKean County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,355 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Port Allegany is located at ....
was as a part of the Jersey Shore, Pine Creek and Buffalo Railway
Jersey Shore, Pine Creek and Buffalo Railway
The Jersey Shore, Pine Creek and Buffalo Railway was a railroad built in the early 1880s to give the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad access to the coal regions around Clearfield, Pennsylvania, USA...
(JSPC&B), which was incorporated on February 17, 1870. The JSPC&B was originally planned to run from the vicinity of Williamsport
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. In 2009, the population was estimated at 29,304...
west to Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania
Jersey Shore is a borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is on the West Branch Susquehanna River, west by south of Williamsport. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. In the past, Jersey Shore held farms, railroad shops, cigar factories, a...
, then north up Pine Creek
Pine Creek (Pennsylvania)
Pine Creek is a tributary of the West Branch Susquehanna River in Potter, Tioga, Lycoming, and Clinton counties in Pennsylvania in the United States. The creek is long...
and down the Allegheny River past Coudersport and west to Port Allegany, as part of a larger route to Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. The Panic of 1873
Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 triggered a severe international economic depression in both Europe and the United States that lasted until 1879, and even longer in some countries. The depression was known as the Great Depression until the 1930s, but is now known as the Long Depression...
stopped work, although some grading of the proposed line was performed in 1874 and 1875.
In the early 1880s the route along the Allegheny River was sold and in October 1882 the narrow gauge Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad
Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad
The Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad was a short line railroad that operated in Potter and McKean Counites in Pennsylvania in the United States between 1882 and 1964. The original line ran along the Allegheny River between the boroughs of Coudersport, the county seat of Potter County, and...
opened on the 17 miles (27.4 km) line between Coudersport and Port Allegany. The railroad was converted to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
in 1889 and six years later the line was extended east to Newfield Junction (where it connected with the Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad
Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad
The Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad was a railroad company that formerly operated in western and north central Pennsylvania and western New York states. It was created in 1893 by the merger and consolidation of several smaller logging railroads. It operated independently until 1929 when a...
) and then on to a new eastern terminus at Ulysses
Ulysses, Pennsylvania
Ulysses is a borough in Potter County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 684 at the 2000 census. When first settled, in 1831, Ulysses was named Lewisville, after an early settler, Orange Lewis. Orange Lewis was a prominent farmer who later became Justice of the Peace, and then county...
, where it linked with the Fall Brook Railway. This became part of the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
system in 1899, and a year later the western terminus at Port Allegany connected with the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
, so the Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad connected the two major rail lines in that part of Pennsylvania.
The Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad began construction on a new station in 1899 and opened it in January 1900. The basic station building cost $6,000, with another $2,000 to $4,000 spent on plumbing and other amenities. Coudersport's population grew from 1,525 in 1890 to 3,217 in 1900, and this was also when the lumber industry was at its height. The lumber industry declined soon after, and in 1924 the line to Ulysses was abandoned. The western 9 miles (14.5 km) of the line to Port Allegany were destroyed in a 1942 flood and the railroad connected to other lines only through Newfield Junction. In 1964 the railroad was purchased by the Wellsville, Addison and Galeton Railroad
Wellsville, Addison and Galeton Railroad
The Wellsville, Addison and Galeton Railroad was formed in 1954 to operate a section of Baltimore and Ohio Railroad trackage which had been isolated from the rest of the system by a 1942 flood. This trackage was acquired by the B&O as part of the purchase of the Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad...
, which finally abandoned it and the station on December 8, 1970. The borough of Coudersport bought the station in 1975 and restored it, adding a new roof. The station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on November 21, 1976. As of 2009 it serves as the police station
Police station
A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
and office building for the borough government of Coudersport, and is the only remaining structure from the Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad.
Structure
The Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad Station is built of red brick and local sandstone. The walls are made with a course of sandstone 3 foot (0.9144 m) tall at the base, with the rest brick; there are two brick chimneys on either end of the central section. The building has a center section which is two and a half stories tall and two wings, one on each end, each one and half stories tall. The station is 100 feet (30.5 m) long, with a width of 30 feet (9.1 m) in the main section and 20 feet (6.1 m) in each wing. The first story windows and doors have semi-circular arches at the top, while the second story windows are rectangular. There is a bellcast gable roof that goes all the way around the center section and both wings of the first story, and a second bellcast gable roof goes most of the way around the second story.Originally the first story of the central section was the ticket office and waiting area, with a waiting room for women in one wing, and a room for baggage in the other wing. The second story had a two small private offices, a large office "for the superintendent and his assistants", and two small storage rooms. The third story of the center section was for storage. The building was built with both electric and gas lighting, and gas heat.