Fire At The Passenger Railroad Station, August 31 1979

On August 31 1979, the 107 year old former passenger railroad station at Trinity Place in Williamsport was destroyed by fire.

The fire was reported at 4:08 am, and was still smoldering 8 hours later. Only the outside walls were left standing.

It was believed to have started in the west section of the building, spreading to the middle before firemen arrived on the scene.

"The blaze raged up and through the structure, until the roof finally collapsed.  The first floor began crashing to the second floor, which then fell to the first floor", reported the Gazette.

"Flames filled every window, creaing a wild jack-o-lantern effect, capped by a wave of high flames which spewed from the top of the inferno.

The landmark building, at the time, housed conrail's telephone and signal lines, the Williamsport Drama Workshop, and equipment stored by Conrail.

The station, as it appeared before the fire.

Built in 1872, this station was one of 5 in Williamsport.

Peter Herdic convinced the Pennsylvania Railroad station to move it's main passenger station from Pine Street to this location.  He planned to build a large hotel here, which would furnish meals to the passengers.

[This was the 4 story Herdic Hotel , later known as the Park Hotel.  Two stories of the Park building still stand today.)

View of the Park Hotel, and Pennsylvania Station

In its peak years, as many as 20 trains a day stopped here.

The Liberty Bell, the Mckinley funeral train, and a train carrying King George V and Queen Mary are just a few of the notable events to happen here.  Harry S. Truman made a whistle stop appearance here in 1952.

It was known as the Park Hotel Station of the Pennsylvania Railroad, then later the Penn Central, and finally Conrail station.

In 1968, Penn Central chose Williamsport as the side of its Northern division headquarters.

Equipment and personnel were moved from NY to Williamsport.  The large room that had included ticket offices, newsstand and lunch counter, and baggage rooms, was all remodeled into offices.

Three years later, Penn Central Headquarters were moved from Williamsport to Altoona.

Daytime passenger trains were suspended in August of 1967, and the last passenger train left Williamsport for Harrisburg on April 30th 1971.

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The Williamsport Train Stations

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-williamsport-train-stations.html