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Lecture: The Coraopolis Train Station Project
May 9, 2019 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Lecture: The Coraopolis Train Station Project
The remaking of an Ohio River Valley town through restoration of an historic train station.
Stacey Christe
Coraopolis Historical Society
Thursday, May 9
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Landmarks Preservation Resource Center
744 Rebecca Avenue, Wilkinsburg PA 15221
The Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad had a lofty goal when it first laid down rails through Coraopolis in 1877— to throw off the yoke of tariffs imposed by the Pennsylvania Railroad by independently hauling as much raw material as it could from Pittsburgh to distribution cities in the west. Practically overnight, “The Little Giant,” crushed its goal and the town of Coraopolis benefited in a big way through the construction of a train station as a hub of commerce and transport.
The station, designed by Shepley, Rutan, and Coolidge, protegees of the renown Henry Hobson Richardson, were hired in the mid-1890s to design the new Coraopolis station. The building was influenced by the architectural hallmarks of the Richardson Romanesque style which distinguish the Allegheny County Courthouse and Jail in Downtown Pittsburgh and other landmarks like Shadyside Presbyterian Church.
In this lecture, Stacey Christe discusses the historic and architectural significance of the Coraopolis Train Station, its impact on the town, and the efforts of the Coraopolis Community Development Foundation in restoring this important cultural and architectural landmark.
About the presenter: Stacey Christe is the president of the Coraopolis Historical Society. She joined the Coraopolis Train Station Project as a volunteer in January 2016, and has undertaken in-depth research on the history of the station as well as the architectural elements and artifacts discovered within the station. She is the creator and editor of two web sites on Coraopolis history and the train station. A graduate of the University of Tennessee, she is an account manager for TrueSense Marketing in Warrendale, Pennsylvania.
This lecture is FREE to the public. RSVPs are appreciated: marylu@phlf.org or 412-471-5808 ext. 527.