Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Water Gap Staion
Also known as: Delaware Water Gap Station
Why it's listed
Built in 1903 and opened in 1904 by the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad, the Delaware Water Gap station combines a brick and gray sandstone station house with a separate freight house under a shared platform and slate roof. Frank J. Nies, the railroad's company architect, designed the Late Victorian complex, which features curved sash bay windows, half-timbered panels, a bracketed canopy and a waiting room with terrazzo floors and oak trim. The station was regarded as an early and generous investment in passenger service, costing about $20,000 and built to suit the wealthy New York and Philadelphia visitors who filled the village's many hotels. Its platform and canopy handled up to 2,000 arrivals and departures a day during the peak years from 1905 to 1915. A 1905 advertising campaign featuring Phoebe Snow was photographed here. Service ended in 1953, and the building was sold to the Borough in 1958. It is listed for its transportation role in the Pocono tourist trade and for its architecture.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the station was central to the railroad-fueled growth of the Pocono resort industry, serving the tourist trade during its peak years from 1905 to 1915. It also argues the building is one of the finer examples of railroad station architecture on the DL&W, reflecting a period of transition from wood to more durable brick, concrete, slate and sandstone construction.
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 02001431, listed November 27, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Waring Dr., Delaware Water Gap |
|---|---|
| County | Monroe County |
| Listed | November 27, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02001431 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1904-1953 |
| Architect / builder | Frank J. Nies (architect, DL&W company architect) |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Poor condition; roof sections removed for safety, part of the platform removed, and the building suffered vandalism after the Borough acquired it in 1958. The Lackawanna Chapter, Railway & Locomotive Historical Society leased it in 1999 and is working to restore it. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.98231, -75.13632 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 02001431.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5253418
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.