The Perkasie Historical Society Museum has been named to the National Register of Historic Places.
The Perkasie Historical Society Museum, formerly the Lehigh Valley Transit Trolley Station, was officially placed on the Registry last spring.
The Perkasie Historical Society Museum will be unveiling their National Register of Historic Places plaque on June 15 at 11 a.m.
The Perkasie Historical Society Museum, formerly the Lehigh Valley Transit Trolley Station, was officially placed on the National Registry of Historical places last spring. Speaking at the ceremony will be Mayor Jeff Hollenbach, state Rep. Shelby Labs and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick. The public is encouraged to attend. Refreshments will be served, and the museum will be open, said a Perkasie Historical Society press release.
The Lehigh Valley Transit Company completed construction of the late Victorian, one-story building in 1912. Ruhe & Lange, a prominent Lehigh Valley architectural firm, designed the station to serve the Liberty Bell Line. At the time, the trolley and railroad were in competition for transportation of people and goods to and from Philadelphia and Allentown.
In 1951, after the closure of the trolley station, a series of small businesses occupied the building. The Hartzell-Crouthamel American Legion Post acquired the building in 1962 for meetings and social gatherings. In 1991, the building was donated by the American Legion to the Perkasie Historical Society for use as a local historical museum. The museum was renovated in 2012 to reflect its earlier role as a trolley station. The society retained the integrity of the building, especially the waiting room, ticket area, windows and porch details, said the release.
Today, the society uses the building for displays and to house the society’s collection.
The Perkasie Historical Society is a volunteer, nonprofit organization and will be observing its 70th anniversary this year. For more information, visit www.perkasiehistory.org.
