{"nrhp_refnum":"75001652","name":"Central Railroad of New Jersey Station","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"31-35 S. Baltimore St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Wilkes-Barre","county":"Luzerne County","state":"PA","lat":41.24205797400003,"lon":-75.87927797499998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1975-05-12","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Transportation","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two and one-half story brick railroad passenger station in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with one and one-half story wings on each side. It was built in 1868 for the Central Railroad of New Jersey.","why_significant":"The station is one of the few remaining elements of the railroad that played an important role in the economic development of northeastern Pennsylvania. It served as operational headquarters for the Lehigh and Susquehanna Division, whose offices routed anthracite coal shipments to markets. Its Victorian design, with iron brackets, centre gables and a cupola, is cited as a fine example of Victorian architecture adapted to railroad stations.","narrative":"Built in 1868 in Wilkes-Barre, this two and one-half story brick passenger station has one and one-half story wings on either side and a large overhanging roof that extends over the waiting platform on the east end. Its main block is seven bays wide, with a gable roof, two gabled dormers on each side, and a large octagonal wooden cupola. Iron brackets, segmental-arched windows and centre gables on the wings reflect the Victorian styles of the period. The station was the operational headquarters for the Lehigh and Susquehanna Division of the Central Railroad of New Jersey, where offices directed the movement of anthracite coal to markets. It was regarded as one of the most ornate and luxurious passenger stations on the line. Passenger service ended in 1963, and the station closed on March 31, 1972. Although structurally sound, it has deteriorated, with ruined interiors, boarded and broken windows, and a roof in need of repair. It is listed for its architecture and its link to the coal-era railroad economy of the region.","period_of_significance":"1868","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Victorian","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Structurally sound but deteriorated; interiors in ruin, first floor windows boarded, second floor windows broken, roof in need of repair; passenger service discontinued in 1963 and station closed March 31, 1972.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:30.587293-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/75001652.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75001652/4545dc830b-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75001652/4545dc830b-1600.webp","licence":"CC0","author":"Smallbones","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Central_Railroad_of_NJ_Station_WB_PA.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Smallbones</a>, <a href=\"http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Central_Railroad_of_NJ_Station_WB_PA.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71998738","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilkes-Barre_station","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5061743"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/luzerne-county/central-railroad-of-new-jersey-station-75001652/"}