Cumberland Valley Railroad Station and Station Master's House
Also known as: Mechanicsburg Railroad Station
Why it's listed
Built circa 1875 in Mechanicsburg, the brick Cumberland Valley Railroad Station is a story-and-a-half building measuring 52 by 27 feet, with a slate gable roof and a brick chimney over the ridge. Beside it stands a two-and-a-half-story brick Station Master's House with a center chimney. The railroad was chartered in 1831 and by 1875 ran 82 2/10 miles, serving Harrisburg, Mechanicsburg, Carlisle and Chambersburg. In that period Mechanicsburg had 3,081 residents and manufactured agricultural implements, carriages, iron castings and wagons, with shipments reaching France, Germany, Russia, England and Australia. The Cumberland Valley Railroad was the town's major shipping agency, and the station handled both passengers and freight. The station's trackside pent roof, paired doors with glass transoms and elongated windows remain largely intact. The structures were in good condition and were being restored when the nomination was prepared.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the station was one of the major passenger and freight stops on the Cumberland Valley Railroad and played an important part in the exchange of commodities and services in a town with a substantial manufacturing and commercial base. It places the station within the history of the railroad, which was chartered in 1831 and later became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 78002384, listed November 17, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2 W. Strawberry Alley and 4 W. Strawberry Alley, Mechanicsburg |
|---|---|
| County | Cumberland County |
| Listed | November 17, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002384 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1870 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The structures are in good condition, have not been subjected to severe alteration, and are currently being restored. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Within district | Mechanicsburg Commercial Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.21360, -77.00867 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 78002384.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5193978
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.