The Nicholson Heritage Association invited locals to celebrate the grand opening of the Nicholson Tourism Train Station in July. This station was known as the former Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad's (DL&W) Nicholson Station and is located off Route 11 in Wyoming County. Despite the station sitting unused for decades, it has remained a well-known landmark in the area. Until recently it has been in the same condition for the past 170 years.
The station's updates consist mostly of refurbished materials from the original station that date back to 1849. Wood flooring, doors, and a working weight scale have been preserved. The station also has many historical pieces on display to be viewed by the community.
The cost of the preservation project totaled $1.4 million dollars. Nearly all the costs of this project were funded by grants and donations, including the PennDOT Transportation Alternatives Program. This program played a huge role in the reopening of the historic station helping to cover most of the costs.
"For 9 years I have been a part of this project and have seen the excitement grow year after year. I'm proud of the work that has been completed together between PennDOT, the Nicholson Heritage Association, the Wyoming County Commissioners, DCNR, The Norther Tier, the Endless Mountains Heritage Region, and John Perry Contracting who made the Train Station come alive," said April Hannon, PennDOT District 4 Project Manager.
On October 19th at the State Museum of Harrisburg, the Nicholson Tourism Center at the Historic DL&W Railroad Station recieved a Preservation Pennsylvania Leadership Award its Impact and enrichment of the community.
The station is currently open to the public on the weekends. The hope for the new and improved Nicholson Train Station is that it will increase tourism to the area and serve as a historical educational center where the community can gather and reminisce.