Lansdale received an early holiday present with news that the SEPTA passenger station has been named to the National Register of Historic Places.
The station was one of nine properties chosen for the nationwide register during the week of Dec. 13 by a selection committee which is part of the National Park System.
The effort to place the 1903 depot on the National Register began two years ago by the Lansdale Historical Society, with the assistance of historic preservationist David Kimmerly. The process involved extensive documentation of the building’s history and an explanation of its importance to the community.
The station becomes the 159th Montgomery County property to be included on the register and only Lansdale’s third – the others are the Jenkins Homestead (1977) and the Silk Factory Lofts (2004).
Construction of the station began in 1902 and was completed in February 1903, to the acclaim of townspeople who toured the structure on opening day. It replaced a combination passenger and freight depot built in 1868. Lansdale’s first station, basically a weather shelter, was put in place during the mid-1850s.
The present station, with its distinctive architectural features, still looks much as it did in 1903. It received major restoration work during the 1990s after falling into disrepair for several decades.
A special program to commemorate the station’s national honor will be held during Lansdale’s 150th anniversary celebration in 2022. Details will be announced in the spring.
See also:
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