Castanea Station History

Beech Creek, Clearfield, and Southwestern Railroad was built in the early 1880s for freight service.

Passenger service added in 1884

Castanea station built in 1884 (now in 2023 = 134 years old)

By 1895, 6000 railroad cars passed this station each week.

Station was very important to local economy.

Station was serving 600 passengers a day.

Main purpose of railroad was to transport coal from the region to the industrial areas of the eastern US.  Other commodities carried by the BCC&S Railroad included clay, lumber, fire brick, farm products, and merchandise.

Primary financiers were the Vanderbilts of New York.

In 1899, the BCC&S became part of the New York Central System.

The village of Castanea, PA was founded in 1871 by Jack Brown and Peter Keller who bought and sold lots.

The station contained a freight station, ticket booth, and telegraph office.  It was providing passenger service for Lock Haven via horse-drawn buggies.  Four passenger trains passed through the station daily.  Supplies were shipped into this area to support a brewery, a limestone quarry, a paper company, and brick & tile company.

In 1956 Trylon Chemical Company purchased the station.

In 1972 the Agnes Flood washed out the tracks east of the station which ended the Railroad's run through Castanea.

note:  a kiosk shaped to resemble a water tower stands in front of the station as of 2009.  The kiosk, constructed by Keystone Central Vo-tech students for the Clinton County Historical Society, which will serve as an tourist information area for the future rails-to-trails and offer a general history of transportation in the Clinton County area.