West Chester Railroad Heritage Asso

The West Chester Railroad Heritage Association needs your help to restore the historic Glen Mills train station!

Located in Thornbury Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, the Glen Mills train station is a contributing property to the Chester Creek Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The station was opened in 1881 and served as both a passenger and freight station for the Pennsylvania Railroad. The all brick and mortar structure is of Gothic Revival architecture, having been designed and built by George Wilson, a Philadelphia firm. The station stands today much as it was when it was built, and is the destination station for the West Chester Railroad, a scenic railroad offering round trip excursions from downtown West Chester.

Previously renovated shortly before the West Chester Railroad opened in 1997, the station is now in need of repairs to the brick facade, as it approaches the 150th anniversary of its construction. We are starting this GoFundMe to engage our community, and railfans nationwide, to restore the station and ensure it can continue to proudly stand as the destination of our scenic railroad. The West Chester Railroad is 100% volunteer operated by WCRHA members, who take care of the station and operate excursions simply for the love of trains and to give back to and educate the community. As one of the oldest remaining original station buildings along the West Chester Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Glen Mills station plays an important role in documenting the history of the line, and of railroading in the region in general.

The Glen Mills station is the destination station for nearly all West Chester Railroad trains, and riders may disembark and are free to visit the station's waiting room, where the Heritage Association displays railroad artifacts and maintains a small gift shop. The station has a dedicated station agent, who greets visitors and works to maintain the station and associated grounds throughout the year. The station is in overall good condition, however in recent years there has been a pronounced deterioration of the mortar between the bricks and in some locations, the bricks themselves. There are areas where little mortar is visible, and many of the bricks are simply crumbling, which can be measured and viewed on a daily basis. It is our desire to have the entire brick facade repointed with the proper type and color of mortar used in its original construction, and have the failing bricks replaced or repaired as needed. Securing the funding for this restoration is crucial to keep the station in a state of good repair, and to further our mission of restoring and interpreting the history of railroads in the local community and overall region.

We are setting an initial goal of $22,000 for the GoFundMe campaign, but our contractor's estimate for the scope of work currently totals $157,000. Meeting the initial goal will allow us to increase our target to fully fund this project with your generous donations.

To learn more about the West Chester Railroad and purchase tickets for our train rides, please visit our website: https://www.wcrailroad.com/

Want to see the station on a day that trains are not running? Have a question? Please message us.

Thank you for your support!