The railroad stations in Hopewell and Pennington boroughs are both listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and are important local buildings.
As described in the 1996 Preservation Plan (see below): “The Hopewell Railroad Station … serves as an architectural landmark for the town and the region. It is a finely detailed, second Empire structure; and is unusual in the extent to which its suburban site has been preserved.” … “[It] is one of the oldest in the state, as well as one of the most interesting architecturally.”
We’ve uploaded the National Register nomination documents submitted for the stations, along with helpful supporting documents (search for “RR” in the Book Archives):
- National Register Nomination Form – Pennington Station (1974)
- New Jersey Transit Railroad Station Survey: Hopewell (1981)
- Thematic Nomination of Operating Passenger Railroad Stations in New Jersey (1984)
- The Operating Passenger Railroad Stations in NJ – A Historical Survey (1981)
And we’ve uploaded the preservation plan for the Hopewell railroad station, which is included in later cultural resource surveys for the proposed restoration of the West Trenton line around 2005.
You also can see 15+ images of the Hopewell train station and vicinity, over time, in the Image archives.
More on Hopewell Railroads
Two railroads were built in the 1870s to connect Philadelphia and New York by travelling up from the Delaware River, through Pennington and Hopewell, and then north towards New York. The Mercer and Somerset opened in 1874, but was shut down in 1880. The Delaware and Bound Brook opened in 1876, and is the predecessor of the line that still runs through the area.
Hopewell Valley Railroad Lines
- Post – The Railroads of the Frog War – Hopewell Valley Railroads
- Post – Hopewell Reading Line Railroad Timetable Collection – Local train service
- Post – Hopewell Railroad Research – Mercer & Somerset in Hopewell Boro
- Post – Railroad Trains and Flooded Bridges
- Post – Hopewell Valley Railroad Artifacts
- Post – The “Frog War” in Hopewell – with references
- History Brief – Hopewell Valley Railroad Lines (PDF)
Hopewell Valley Train Stations
- Post – The Hopewell and Pennington Train Stations (1876)
- Post – Railroad Stations in the National Register of Historic Places – Documents
- Post – Hopewell Railroad Sidings
- Post – Pennington Train Station Underpass
- History Brief – The Hopewell and Pennington Train Stations (PDF)
Hopewell Railroad Presentations
- Presentation / Video – Industrial Hopewell: Railroad Place – References
- Presentation / Video – Life in 1900s Hopewell With the Arrival of the Railroad – References
- Presentation / Video – Hopewell Train Stations: History and Art – References
Train Stations in Photos
- Post – Train Station Photos by Harry Abendroth
- Post – Ralph Curcio Hopewell Railroad Photos
- Post – Hopewell Train Station in 1881
- Post – Hopewell Train Station Photos – 1914 & c1940
- Post – Hopewell Trains and Stations – 1955
- Post – Images of the HOPE Switch Tower – 1950s
- Post – Hopewell & Pennington Train Stations and Buildings – 1973
Railroad Collections
- Pamphlets – Railroad Timetable Collection
Media – Railroads in Image Gallery
- Artwork Gallery – Hopewell Train Station Art Gallery
- Gallery – All Hopewell Train Images and Hopewell Train Station Images (HwRR)
- Gallery – All Pennington Train Images and Pennington Train Station Images (PnRR)
Media – Railroad Artwork
- Post – Hopewell Train Station Art Gallery
- Post – More Intriguing Hopewell Train Station Art
- Post – Hopewell Train Station Art by Jerry Cable
- Post – Hopewell Train Station Painting with Steam Engine 602
Media – Railroad Video
- Video – 1940s videos of people boarding trains at the Hopewell Train station (YouTube)
