A piece of Philadelphia railroad history could be getting a second life. According to KYW Newsradio, SEPTA and the city are considering a plan to restore the historic Shawmont Station in Roxborough. The station has sat vacant since passenger service ended nearly 30 years ago.
The roughly 200-year-old station sits along SEPTA’s Manayunk-Norristown Line and is widely regarded as the nation’s oldest passenger rail stop. SEPTA trains have not stopped there since 1996.
While the station’s exterior was renovated about three years ago, the interior has continued to deteriorate. According to KYW, SEPTA estimates that nearly $1 million in work is needed to fully restore the building.
A $1 lease could help save Shawmont Station
SEPTA’s board is expected to consider a resolution next week that would lease Shawmont Station to the city for just $1.
Under the proposed arrangement, the city would take on the restoration before subleasing the property to the nonprofit Historic Shawmont Station Society. The organization would then operate the restored station as a museum and learning center.
SEPTA Real Estate Manager Casey Everlof told KYW that the agency does not currently have the funding to renovate the station and open it to the public because it is no longer an active stop.
A new chapter for a historic site
The proposal could give the long-vacant station a new purpose while preserving a piece of Philadelphia’s transportation history.
John Johnstone, a historian with the Historic Shawmont Station Society who helped get the station added to Philadelphia’s register of historic places, told KYW that historic sites in the city are significant and worth preserving.
The proposed 20-year lease still needs approval from both SEPTA and Philadelphia City Council. Ultimately, the future of Shawmont Station remains to be determined, although this is a promising new development.
