Lansdale Freight Station
During Lansdale's formative years, passenger and cargo shared a single station but as the town grew the need for separate facilities became acute.
Spurred by the success of the Heebner Agricultural Works, a new freight station was erected in 1903, the same year a new passenger station opened two blocks up the tracks.
The Freight Station was key to help process the large volume of goods being manufactured by Lansdale's industries.
Many truck loads of commerce moved through this freight station every day, helping to spur the economic boom Lansdale enjoyed in the 1900-1970 period.
The platform closest to Broad Street was 91 feet long and featured a crane to hoist heavy cargo to and from the freight cars. There was another one on the opposite side that was 76 feet long, each were 16 feet wide.
The platforms had seen better times when this picture was shot, probably in the early 1960s.
Lansdale Freight House, 111 South Broad Street
Just as the Lansdale freight station opened without fanfare late in 1902, it closed with little notice in the 1970s. Times changed.
What had once been one of Lansdale’s most important buildings became excess baggage for the railroad. And the freight station stood silent and empty, waiting for its next chapter to begin.
In 2016 the Lansdale Parking Authority purchased the freight house parcel of land and then Discover Lansdale bought the building from them. There is much to do to restore the freight house but when complete this will be a very useful facility for our community and its various organizations.
The Parking Authority has completed the new parking surface, sidewalks and needed infrastructure for the freight house.
