Reading Railroad Passenger Station-Tamaqua
Why it's listed
Built in 1874 by the Reading Railroad on the edge of downtown Tamaqua, this brick station in the Italianate style had its T-shaped plan completed by additions in 1880 and 1885, the latter adding a freight house. Its low hip roof, bracketed cornice, and projecting brick courses reflect the design of small-town Victorian railroad stations. The building was the departure point for passenger trains to Philadelphia, Reading, Mauch Chunk, and Williamsport, and it was a meal stop on the Philadelphia to Williamsport run, with a restaurant by 1877. Its freight house handled local shipments, served as a post office collection point, and later housed a trolley company office. Passenger traffic peaked in 1904 and then declined with competition from trolleys, buses, and automobiles. The last passenger train departed in 1963. The station is one of two surviving stations from a group of six built by the railroad in the 1870s.
Significance in brief: The station served as the origin point for passenger trains from Tamaqua to eastern Pennsylvania cities and as a meal stop on the Reading Railroad's Philadelphia to Williamsport line, where it had a restaurant by 1877. It was one of six intermediate-size stations the Reading Railroad built between 1872 and 1876, and it is one of only two of those that survive. Its design reflects the functional and decorative character of small-town Victorian railroad stations.
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 85003164, listed December 26, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Off W. Broad St., Tamaqua |
|---|---|
| County | Schuylkill County |
| Listed | December 26, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85003164 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1874-1899 |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The last passenger train left in 1963; the railroad used the building for administrative purposes until 1980, when it was sold to the Borough of Tamaqua. A fire of suspicious origin damaged the men's waiting room, and the Tamaqua Historical Society has been working on restoration. |
| Acreage | 1.6 |
| Coordinates | 40.79795, -75.97012 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 85003164.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7680717
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.