
I made this photograph of the former Pennsylvania Railroad freight station in Canton on July 10, 2008, when I was working on my book Canton Area Railroads.
Obviously, the brick structure was unused at the time and had not been for several years. It was just a matter of time before it had a date with a wreck ball. But that would not occur for another decade.
The freight station was built by the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago in 1865 and expanded in 1903 and 1908.
It sat just to the east of Cherry Avenue near Madison Street. At one time the PFt.W&C had a passenger station 100 feet west of its freight station.
That depot was replaced by the PRR with another passenger station in 1915 on Market Street South and Ninth Street NW. It was razed in 1976 when Amtrak built a much smaller station at the site that it used for its Broadway Limited and later Capitol Limited until November 1990.
As far as I know the former Amtrak station still stands but remains unused.
Article by Craig Sanders
Tags: Canton Ohio, Pennsylvania Railroad, Pittsburgh Fort Wayne & Chicago, PRR freight house, PRR freight house Canton
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