Mars Station
Encyclopedia
The Mars Station in Mars
, Pennsylvania
, was constructed in 1897 by the Pittsburgh and Western Railroad. For nearly fifty years, the station served the community by helping to transport freight and passengers in the area. The station is located halfway between the cities of Pittsburgh, and Butler
.
. The station would eventually be repaired. A few years later, residents gathered around the station and tracks to witness President Warren G. Harding
's funeral train
passing by on its way to Washington, D.C.
The station closed down in the early 1960s, and it would sit vacant for nearly four decades.
In 2000, the Mars Historical Society purchased the station, and through many donations it was relocated and restored at a new site in the borough. The station is now in the process of becoming a museum. According to Railpace Newsmagazine, the Mars station is the last station still standing on the P&W Subdivision
.
In 2006, the Mars Train Station was featured on The History Channel
as part of the Save Our History
program.
Mars, Pennsylvania
Mars is a borough in Butler County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 1,746 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Mars is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , all of it land....
, 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...
, was constructed in 1897 by the Pittsburgh and Western Railroad. For nearly fifty years, the station served the community by helping to transport freight and passengers in the area. The station is located halfway between the cities of Pittsburgh, and Butler
Butler, Pennsylvania
The city of Butler is the county seat of Butler County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, situated north of Pittsburgh. The population was 15,121 at the 2000 census.- History :...
.
History
During the 1920s, a freight train derailed and crashed into the station, which knocked it off its foundationFoundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
. The station would eventually be repaired. A few years later, residents gathered around the station and tracks to witness President Warren G. Harding
Warren G. Harding
Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States . A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential self-made newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate , as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and as a U.S. Senator...
's funeral train
Funeral train
A funeral train is a train specially chartered in order to carry a coffin or coffins to a resting place. Funeral trains today are often reserved for leaders and national heroes, as part of a state funeral, but in the past were sometimes the chief means of transporting coffins and mourners to...
passing by on its way to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
The station closed down in the early 1960s, and it would sit vacant for nearly four decades.
In 2000, the Mars Historical Society purchased the station, and through many donations it was relocated and restored at a new site in the borough. The station is now in the process of becoming a museum. According to Railpace Newsmagazine, the Mars station is the last station still standing on the P&W Subdivision
P&W Subdivision
The P&W Subdivision is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation, the Allegheny Valley Railroad , and the Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania...
.
In 2006, the Mars Train Station was featured on The History Channel
The History Channel
History, formerly known as The History Channel, is an American-based international satellite and cable TV channel that broadcasts a variety of reality shows and documentary programs including those of fictional and non-fictional historical content, together with speculation about the future.-...
as part of the Save Our History
Save Our History
Save Our History is a program sponsored by The History Channel. It is a national history education and preservation program that raises awareness and support for preserving local and national heritage. It is partnered with Preserve America, a White House initiative created by Laura Bush on March 3,...
program.