History Of Beaver Station & Vicinity

History Of Beaver Station and Vicinity. . 1851 - Rail service came to Beaver County with the Ohio and Pennsylvania Railroad operating along the north bank of the Ohio River.

1855 - The Stone family built the first of two houses on this site that were later acquired by the P&LE for the track and station relocation of 1910. In 1831 Stephen Stone established Stone's Point, an important hub of canal and river commerce just southeast of this location.

1860 - The Cleveland and Pittsburgh Railroad opened a small station near the Ohio River below the present Beaver Library. It became part of the Pennsylvania RR in 1871. Large iron steps led down from River Road, over the tracks to this station and the popular Beaver Beach and dance pavilion. Passenger service ended in 1931, while freight service continued into the 1940s.

1861 - Abraham Lincoln's Inauguration train to Washington, D.C., stopped in nearby Rochester on February 14th.

1871 - The expansion of railroads rendered the Beaver and Erie Canal obsolete after 40 years of operation. 1875 Investors, including the Harmony Society, established the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad and secured track rights along the south bank of the Ohio River and west bank of the Beaver River.

1878 - The first trains crossed the original P&LE Ohio River Bridge to Beaver and on to Youngstown, Ohio. In 1879, a small wooden passenger station was opened. The P&LE's nickname became "The Little Giant” because it carried more tons of freight per track mile than any railroad in America.

1887 - W.H. Vanderbilt acquired control of the P&LE and affiliated it with the New York Central Railroad. The Pennsylvania Railroad started Conway Yards and from 1956 to 1980, it became the world's largest automated rail yard. 1897 The current Beaver Station was designed in the Romanesque Revival style by the P&LE's R. P. Forsberg. It was built by Theo Breitwieser for $8,000.

1910 - The current Ohio River railroad bridge, the largest cantilever type in the world at the time, was completed and the tracks and current station were moved southeast about 100 feet to their present location. A new freight house was built by Cook Anderson Co. on an adjacent parcel to the south.

1930 - At the height of rail travel, Beaver County had over 30 passenger stations. The P&LE alone carried 3.8 million passengers per year and operated hourly between Beaver and Pittsburgh with 30-minute express service. Beaver Station was an important connecting hub to the Ohio Valley inter-urban streetcar line known as the "Yellow Car” that traveled through Midland to and from Steubenville, Ohio.

1955/1985 – Growth of automobiles, highways, and air travel led to a steady decline in train travel. Eventually there was only one morning and evening commuter train running between Beaver Falls and Pittsburgh with a stop in Beaver. Passenger service ended July 12, 1985, but CSX freight trains remain a frequent sight today.

1986 – Beaver County bought Beaver Station and expanded it to 8,500 square feet to create the county's first 911 Center.

1996 – The National Register of Historic Places named Beaver a National Historic District with Beaver Station and the adjacent freight house listed as contributing properties.

1998 - Beaver Area Heritage Foundation (BAHF) completely renovated the adjacent 1910 freight house converting it to the award-winning Beaver Area Heritage Museum.

2010 - Beaver County moved the 911 Center to a new, more modern facility in Ambridge.

2011/2017– At Beaver's request, BAHF undertook an adaptive reuse study resulting in plans for Beaver Station Cultural and Event Center. More than 350 public and private donors gave $2.8M to "Preserve the Past and Enrich the Future.” Beaver Station opened in 2015; exterior amenities were completed in 2017. BAHF received two state-wide, preservation awards for the project.