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The Vision for Preserving Beaver Station as a County-wide, Multi-Use Cultural and Community Jewel
Update: On May 19, 2013, Beaver Borough Officials reached a closing agreement with the Beaver
Area Heritage Foundation for the purchase of "Beaver Station." [ more ]
Our Vision: The Borough of Beaver, Pennsylvania, has asked the Beaver Area Heritage Foundation (BAHF) to take a lead role in a restoration and preservation plan for the former Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad (P&LE) passenger station to keep this architecturally significant building within our control as a jewel of the community.
We have developed an initiative that will return the station to its original, beautiful external appearance and create an attractively landscaped campus along East End Avenue, in Beaver. Since this initiative must be financially self-sustaining, we are partnering with two groups: Sewickley’s popular Sweetwater Center for the Arts, who wishes to establish a branch campus, and the Beaver County Genealogy and History Center. For our own heritage museum, which has grown so quickly that we are entirely out of space, we also seek an enlarged archives and research facility for our permanent collections.
Beaver Station will provide a diverse array of upscale cultural and community activities for all ages, and become a go-to destination within the regional market. Part of our plan is to transform the station into an attractive, multipurpose meeting and event space that can be used for weddings, parties, arts classes and displays, musical performances, corporate and cultural events or any manner of appropriate public gatherings. To retain the natural beauty of the surrounding area, the grounds will be landscaped to accommodate large and small outdoor events and be marked as a dramatic eastern gateway to Beaver.
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Beaver Station site plan, with attractive landscaping and community space |
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Red stone archways and stained glass |
Project Background: In 2010, Beaver Borough acquired the turn-of-the-century building and grounds from Beaver County. After carefully considering but rejecting such uses as borough offices and the police station, the Borough approached BAHF to request the nonprofit organization consider restoring and repurposing the property for the benefit of the whole community. BAHF was asked to “perform the same magic” that took place in the 1990s with the transformation of the adjacent freight station into a renowned museum. The museum was financed with private donations and was later named “America’s Best Local History Museum” by The American Association of State and Local History.
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| Decorative yellow brick and brown stone trim in the Romanesque style |
The passenger station property has even more potential as it is much larger, at 8,500 sq ft, and on a very visible two-acre site. This iconic National Historic District building was designated one of the top 10 most eligible restoration projects in southwestern Pennsylvania by the Pittsburgh Association of Young Preservationists. This potential helped the project to qualify for a $100,000 study grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Borough and BAHF selected Pfaffmann Associates, a Pittsburgh-based architectural firm with strong historic preservation credentials, for this restoration and re-use study. After nearly a year of study, BAHF is pleased to present a plan that preserves our past, enhances contemporary community life and is self-sustaining.
Preserving Our Past: Constructed in 1897, the train station is a solidly built brick and stone structure of Romanesque design with many attractive architectural finishes, such as original terrazzo floors, high ceilings with heavy box beams and many stained glass arch windows. The building also has a finished basement connected to a newer below grade structure, both well suited for adaptive re-use. The first order of business will be to preserve and renovate this historically significant structure transforming it into Beaver Station for a new century of service to our community.
The majority of the lower level will house two important historic preservation organizations. The Beaver County Genealogy and History Center (BCGHC), now located in the Carnegie Free Library of Beaver Falls, will occupy the newer space at the Third Street end. BCGHC provides an archival site for study, reference, research, and preservation of Beaver County records and documents. The Beaver Area Heritage Museum, part of the BAHF, which has outgrown its collection space, will expand into the older section to the south end of the lower level. Its mission is similar to that of BCGHC, but the museum also archives important local artifacts. Both of these important preservation facilities attract local scholars as well as out of town researchers.
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| The original trackside platform will be reconstructed |
We also intend to reconstruct a portion of the original track side platform at the rear of the station. This important architectural element will contain a series of panels that tell the history of Beaver County from white water rivers and Indian villages to the present day. The area between the station and the new platform will become an attractive and useful outdoor courtyard.
Enhancing Present-Day Community Life: The property is strategically located at the eastern entrance to Beaver. Our plans will create a visually attractive, linear campus extending from Third Street to the 1802 Log House, a relocated Buffalo Street cabin made of logs originally hewn for Fort McIntosh during the American Revolution in 1778. New, highly visible signage and landscaping will create a landmark gateway to Beaver.
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| Original red and green floor tile inlay remains in excellent condition |
Beaver Station’s upper level and grounds will be repurposed as community event space. The former waiting room will become a very attractive event room capable of seating as many as 175 persons. The former baggage room will become a modern catering kitchen. The grounds will include an event lawn (to accommodate a large tent) and gazebo for a variety of outdoor events. We envision various civic, business and social gatherings including meetings, lectures, small festivals and both indoor and outdoor receptions. The site has ample parking for most events.
Beaver Station will also host classrooms for Sweetwater Center for the Arts. Success has created a shortage of space in Sewickley and this is an out-reach opportunity to offer their more popular classes here in Beaver County. A variety of classes are envisioned for both children and adults. Two lower-level classrooms are planned, and the catering kitchen can hold cooking classes. When the classrooms are not being used by Sweetwater, they will be available for other community groups.
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Original, beautiful stained glass |
Sustainability for the Future: BAHF considers it essential that Beaver Station be financially self-supporting. To reduce the carbon footprint and fuel costs, a state-of-the-art geothermal HVAC system is planned. We will derive rental income from BCGHC and Sweetwater, as well as income from events taking place on the main level and grounds. With funding from our Commonwealth of Pennsylvania grant, we obtained professional advice to develop the use plan and operating projections and are confident the facility can more than cover its cost. Any surplus income will be used by BAHF for other community benefits.
An Invitation for Support: As a community we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to restore a strategic landmark, create an inviting entrance to our town and establish an important new multi-use community center. Failure to act could result in undesirable alternatives outside of our control, such as a conversion to commercial property or demolition altogether. In its 40-plus years as an important community group, BAHF has successfully restored the Fort McIntosh site, the former freight station, the 1802 Log House and played a consulting role in the downtown streetscape. With strong support of Beaver Borough and the community at large, BAHF boldly has launched a $2.3 million capital campaign to create Beaver Station as an important new asset for our very special community.
We will be seeking both public and private grants and are pleased to report Beaver Station has already received the maximum Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission grant of $25,000, a highly credible endorsement of this important project. However the majority of our funding must come from private donations. Commitments can be fulfilled over a three year period, and all donations are tax deductible.
We hope civic minded individuals will see this as a unique and exciting opportunity to enhance our community for many years to come. Beaver Station campaign brochures will soon be available at the borough offices, library and certain local merchants. If you want to discuss ways to help or naming / memorial opportunities, leave a voicemail message at the museum (724.775.7174) or feel free to call steering committee chair David O’Leary (724.728.4099) or fundraising chair Chick O’Data (724.775.7996).
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Beaver Station's event lawn which will accommodate wedding receptions, corporate events and more |
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