MEMORANDUM DATE: May 16, 2011 TO: Monica Harrower, PennDOT District 6-0 FROM: RE: Mary Alfson Tinsman CHRS, Inc. 451 North Cannon Avenue, Suite 100B Lansdale, PA 19446 French Creek Parkway Project Phoenixville Borough, Schuylkill Township, East Pikeland Township, West Pikeland Township and Upper Uwchlan Township, Chester County CHRS, Inc. investigated the Pickering Valley Branch of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad in order to determine whether any elements of the railroad still remain between Phoenixville and Byers Station. In October 2009, CHRS, Inc. reevaluated the significance of the Pickering Valley Branch of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad and recommended that the resource was no longer eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. In 2001, the resource had been determined eligible for listing in the National Register under Criterion A because it played an important role in regional economic development through its association with the Phoenix Iron Company (Zug-Gilbert 2001). When resurveyed in 2009, it was found that the buildings and structures of the Phoenixville Iron Company had been razed and the railroad no longer retained integrity of association with the company (McConahy 2009). A field investigation in April 2011 revealed that the vast majority of the Pickering Valley Branch of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad between Phoenixville and Byers Station had been removed; only two elements from the railroad could be found. On the site of the Columbia Station at 4 Bridge Street in Phoenixville Borough, Chester County, approximately 150 feet of rail can be seen southeast of the former train depot (see Photograph 1). At the southeastern corner of the intersection of Kimberton Road and Pikeland Road, in West Pikeland Township, Chester County, are four concrete piers (see Photograph 3), presumably from a small railroad bridge constructed to accommodate the hilly landscape. Several sections of the railroad berm are still visible, but the tracks and ties have been removed and many sections of the berm have been interrupted and altered by modern development. No associated buildings, such as rail stations, could be found. The National Register-listed Byers Station Historic District (Key# 104866), located at the terminus of the Pickering Valley Branch, does not describe a train station, indicating its absence when the district was placed on the National Register in 2002. \\SVR08-C\USERS\MALFSON\FRENCHCR\FRENCHCR-PICKERING-VALLEY-BRANCH-MEMO.DOC 451 N. Cannon Ave., Suite 100B Lansdale, PA 19446 www.chrsinc.com Tel.: 215-699-8006 Fax: 215-699-8901 Email: malfson@chrsinc.com
The demolition of the Phoenixville Iron Company buildings, with which the significance of the Pickering Valley Branch of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad was associated, and the widespread absence of remaining railroad elements support CHRS, Inc. s 2009 decision (McConahy 2009) to change the status of the Pickering Valley Branch from eligible to not eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. References: Google Earth 2010 Aerial imagery recorded on April 12, 2010. Digital data accessed via Google Earth on May 2, 2011. McConahy, Lisa 2009 Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, Pickering Valley Branch. Pennsylvania Historic Resource Survey Form. On file at the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Reading Company Technical & Historical Society, Inc. 2011 Reading Railroad System Map. Published by Reading Company Technical & Historical Society Inc. online at <http://www.readingrailroad.org/reading/rdg_system_map.shtml>. Digital data accessed on May 2, 2011. United States Geological Survey 1983a Downingtown, Pennsylvania Quadrangle. 7.5-minute series. North American Datum 1927. National Geodetic Vertical Datum 1929. Revised 1983. Denver, Colorado: United States Geological Survey. 1983b Phoenixville, Pennsylvania Quadrangle. 7.5-minute series. Topography by planetable surveys 1951. Revised from aerial photographs taken 1981. Revised 1983. Denver, Colorado: United States Geological Survey. 1999 Malvern, Pennsylvania Quadrangle. 7.5-minute series. Topography by planetable surveys 1999. Revised from aerial photographs taken 1955. Revised 1999. Denver, Colorado: United States Geological Survey. Zug-Gilbert, Wendy 2001 Pickering Valley Branch of the Philadelphia & Reading Pennsylvania Historic Resource Survey Form. On file at the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. \\SVR08-C\USERS\MALFSON\FRENCHCR\FRENCHCR-PICKERING-VALLEY-BRANCH-MEMO.DOC 451 N. Cannon Ave., Suite 100B Lansdale, PA 19446 www.chrsinc.com Tel.: 215-699-8006 Fax: 215-699-8901 Email: malfson@chrsinc.com
Philadelphia & Reading Railroad, Pickering Valley Branch, Chester County Philadelphia & Reading Railroad, Pickering Valley Branch: Photograph 1 View facing west, showing the only remaining stretch of rail. Philadelphia & Reading Railroad, Pickering Valley Branch: Photograph 2 View facing east, showing the top of the railroad berm where the Pickering Valley Branch ran behind the Heritage Center. Note that the ties and tracks have been removed and replaced with landscaping.
Philadelphia & Reading Railroad, Pickering Valley Branch, Chester County Philadelphia & Reading Railroad, Pickering Valley Branch: Photograph 3 View facing southwest, showing the remaining piers from a small railroad bridge.
MATCH TO B SCALE SOURCE 0ft 2000ft 0m 609.6m Prepared by CHRS, Inc. USGS 1983a DOWNINGTOWN, PA USGS 1999 MALVERN, PA PHILADELPHIA & READING RAILROAD, PICKERING VALLEY BRANCH RESOURCE LOCATION MAP - A
MATCH TO A SCALE SOURCE 0ft 2000ft USGS 1983b PHOENIXVILLE, PA 0m 609.6m USGS 1999 MALVERN, PA Prepared by CHRS, Inc. PHILADELPHIA & READING RAILROAD, PICKERING VALLEY BRANCH RESOURCE LOCATION MAP - B
RAIL LINE 2 1 BRIDGE PIERS 3 SCALE SOURCE PHOTO LOCATIONS 0ft 0m 4336ft 1322m GOOGLE EARTH 2010 EXTANT FEATURES PHILADELPHIA & READING RAILROAD, PICKERING VALLEY BRANCH Prepared by CHRS, Inc. RESOURCE AND PHOTO LOCATION MAP
SCALE SOURCE READING COMPANY TECHNICAL & HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC. 2011 PHILADELPHIA & READING RAILROAD, PICKERING VALLEY BRANCH NOT TO SCALE Prepared by CHRS, Inc. READING RAILROAD SYSTEM MAP