CHESTER  COUNTY

Avondale (PRR) - This station is on the PRR's Pomeroy and Newark Branch (former Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad) at the former junction with the Octararo Branch. The station had been moved from it’s original location 180 degrees to be along the Octararo Branch, and the upper level was removed in 1946.

Berwyn (PRR) - This station is completely different than the other old stations along the "Main Line" between Paoli and Philadelphia in that it is built entirely of red brick, with yellow window and door arches. It is very well maintained and is two stories high. Now a picture frame shop.

Buck Run (PRR) - The passenger station had a siding track in front of it that came from the north. Also two siding tracks (with switches across from the station) came across Buck Run Road to the Buck Run Forge. The station was renamed "Buck Run" in 1899. It was previously known as "Gum Tree Station."

Chadds Ford Junction (P&B Central/W&N - Freight) - This old freight station was privately owned, but served the railroad here for many years on the interchange track between the P&B Central and Wilmington & Northern.

Coatesville (PRR) - First story is at street level (below track level), 2nd story on track level, former 3rd story gable in center of building now gown. When built, the station was set back from tracks to allow for track expansion from 2 to 4 and for track realignments. Eastbound and westbound platform shelters were added in 1909. Level of tracks, platforms and shelters were raised in relationship to the station in the early 1940s during track grade reduction program.

Cossart (RDG) - This was the de facto "summit" between Coatesville and Wilmington.  In the W&N days it had a small yard and turntable.  Trains would be helped from Wilmington to Cossart, then run down grade to Coatesville.  The turntable was retired sometime after the W&N was acquired by the P&R.  By the diesel era all there was the stone depot on the South/west side of the tracks, a siding and a spur to a coal trestle just north/west of the depot. The coal trestle was about 6 ft high and about 1 or 2 cars long.  The depot was a unique design for the Reading. -- Dave Husman. The 1873 map identifies this location as Pyles Station. In the early 1900s, Pyles Station burned down. The property owner of the surrounding farm was HG Haskell. He built the current stone station structure and gave the building to the railroad in the early 1900s (although the book Reading's Victorian Stations (Lewis, 1976) claims it was built in 1929). Trains used to also unload supplies at the adjoining wooden warehouse, now abandoned and in poor condition. When the railroad no longer needed the station (date unknown), it was given/sold back to the Haskell family, which still owns the farmland today (2015). It is now two apartments. Tracks are still maintained by the railroad and active.

Devon (PRR) - This station is built in English Tudor style of wood, stucco, brick, stone and terra cotta.

Exton (RDG) - The Exton Hotel, formerly known as the Exton House and Ship Station housed the original ticket office for the Chester Valley Railroad at Exton.

Glenloch (PRR) - For more info see Tom Young's page about this station.

Glenmoore (PRR) - This was likely the first station in Glenmoore (prior to the new station being built in 1890). Some have said it also served as a hotel.  On the 1883 atlas, this building is denoted as the depot. The 1873 atlas shows the extant building and the adjacent railroad, though its use is not indicated.  I don't see a hotel denoted anywhere in the vicinity on the 1873 or 1883 atlases, but looking at the building with its full 2nd floor it seems plausible that it could have served as such.  The extant building denoted as Store & Post Office directly across Creek Road on the atlases could also likely have served as a hotel given its larger size (this c. 1870 mansard roofed Victorian is one of the buildings I suspect may be a Samuel Sloan design). Also note on the current photo of the building from Google Street View that there is a typical bay window at the southwest corner which would have been trackside.  What is unclear is whether this building was purpose built as a station at the time of the original construction of the railroad or if it was in existence before the railroad, nor whether it had any official railroad connection after the 1890 station was built. There do not seem to be any pre-1873 atlases for the area available online. Taken as a whole, I believe the evidence indicates that this was the first station at Glenmoore. --Note by Mario Cimino.

Isabella (W&N) - This building served as the original station here. When traffic declined in the 1940s a passenger shelter/flag stop was installed across the tracks (see "Stations Of The Past section). The 1873 map of the township shows the station in approximately this location (GPS: 40.121007, -75.837970). 

Kennett Square (PRR) - This station is used by East Penn Railways.

Kirkland Sstation (WC&F) - This station, built between 1860-1879 was moved about 40 feet to its present location in 1880, when the PRR straightened the track at Kirkland. It was later converted to a residence from a ticket/waiting room and station master's home with a small two-story stucco addition (two rooms). The station was placed on the National Historical Register in 1983 by West Whiteland Township. 

Lincoln University (PB&C) - The railroad was the Philadelphia & Baltimore Central. Burgess and Kennedy's "Centennial History of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company" states that "...the road (P&BC) was completed from Wawa to the Susquehanna River....in 1867..." It is my guess that the railroad was being built past what was to become the village of Lincoln University in 1866, the same year that the school was renamed. The ramshackle remains have been bought by a couple that have the hobby of restoring older structures. --Ed Thornton

Mill Lane (PG&N) - Greek-Revival Architecture with roof, center hall and stairway classic of that era (pre-1840), made of stone and stucco, typical of "country house" stations built by the owner; Philadelphia Germantown & Norristown Railroad (but named Norristown Valley Railroad and later changed to Chester Valley Railroad). Windows upgraded later by Philadelphia & Reading RR. The only station left, similar to Shawmont, also built by the PG&N. Other sources, like Bernhart & Bernhart's Reading Railroad Stationn Pictorial, say the station was built in 1914. The realty listing for the house says it was built in 1900. Can someone sort out this discrepancy?

Modena (W&N) - This station is pictured on page 85-86 of Reading RR Station Pictorial, Vol. 4 by Benjamin Bernhart. It is the original Modena station. Later the RDG constructed a smaller station building between the original station and the tracks.

Morstein (West Chester & Frazer) - Station is located in Exton Station (West Whiteland Twp.). There is no town called Morstein currently, but the station was given this name in 1900, by the Lewis family that lived nearby. It was previously known as "Woodland" and "Zermatt." This is one of the earliest surviving railroad stations. The original station part is built of brick and the wood fram addition was added in 1889 due to increased business at the station.

Northbrook (W&N) - This station is built like a clapboard farmhouse, complete with a front porch. At first glance it does not look like a train station, but has served well over 100 years. It currently serves as a house and is located by the Northbrook Canoe Company on the Western Branch of Brandywine Creek. The Brandywine Valley Scenic RR uses the tracks. This location was also known as Marshall's Station in the early years of the railroad (see 1873 county map).

Northbrook (W&N Freight) - This appears to (have been) be a freight station, but could use some more confirmation if it is.

Paoli (Amtrak) - Although the old 1953 PRR station is still part of this complex, Amtrak essentially built a modern glass/metal/brick station around that building.

Parkesburg (PRR) - The station opened on June 4, 1906. This was the furthest westward reach of the SEPTA commuter rail line until 1995 (R5 Paoli/Parkesburg). The town was founded around a repair shop for the Philadelphia and Columbia RR in the 1830's and 40's, and there is a brick railroad structure on the north side about 200 yards east of the station. The station was abandoned for some time but is under renovation.

Phoenixville (RDG) - The station was built around 1865 and was remodeled in 1877 when two towers were removed.  Passenger traffic ceased about 1980 on this formerly four-track Reading line; now there are only two tracks.

Pocopson (W&N) - This station is built of local green serpentine fieldstone and wood shingle. It is superbly maintained as "Pocopson Veterinary Station" and the Brandywine Scenic Railway runs past it. The interior woodwork is preserved and the ticket office is now the examining room.

Rosedale (PRR) - The photo is of the freight station here (or part of the old combination station) in the 1950s. This building may still be standing as part of a house here. Need more recent photos and confirmation.

Strafford (PRR) - Station was built as the Catalogue Building for the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. After the exposition the station was bought at auction by the PRR and  moved to Wayne in 1885 and then moved to Strafford in 1887. When the station was moved to Strafford in 1887 some of the ornamentation was removed due to placing the station on a sloping piece of land.

Valley Forge (RDG) - This station was built in 1912 to allow visitors to stop at Washington's Headquarters. It is built of fieldstone in colonial revival style, with a gorgeous waiting room, complete with fireplace. The platform roof was held up by doric columns and originally the stairways were ornamented with pyramids of cannonballs! The station has been out of use since the 1970s, and the platform concrete is is poor condition. The two outer tracks have been removed, and the two inner tracks are used for freight. Now owned by the National Park Service and serves as George Washington-centric museum.

Westtown (RDG) - The station was built here in 1859 by the West Chester & Philadelphia RR and the stop was known as Street Road until 1888. The station primarily served the nearby Westtown Boarding School operated by the Society of Friends. The station is in Thornberry Township, Chester County which is not to be confused with the adjacent Thornberry Township in Delaware County.

Whitford (PRR) - The station building is plain clapboard and is presently boarded up but in fair condition. The freight shed is cut gray "rubble" stone and is probably older than the station; it is now part of a business. Most remarkable is that the station is located under a huge "flyover" girder bridge built in 1902, part of the old "Trenton Cutoff" system. The "high line" is now abandoned, but the main line tracks are still in heavy use.