College Hill Station

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Station statistics
College Hill
College Hill Station
Platforms	2
Tracks	1
Other information
Opened	1910
Owned by	Geneva College

The College Hill Station is a former train station located on the campus of Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, USA. The structure was built by the famous Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad to help transport goods and passengers in and out of the neighborhood of College Hill in Beaver Falls. Downtown Beaver Falls once had a passenger station of its own, but it has since been demolished, along with the freight station in 2007.

[edit] History

The College Hill Station was constructed in 1910 by "The Little Giant", making it the fourth building to be constructed on land owned by Geneva College. The structures built before the station included Old Main, Fern Cliffe House, and the old Science Hall. The Science Hall burnt down many years ago and was replaced by the current Science and Engineering Building, making the station the third oldest structure on campus. Between the 1950s and 1980s, many railroad stations in Western Pennsylvania, and across the United States began shutting down. Unlike many stations in the area, College Hill did not close down and survived well into the 1980s. During this time, the P&LE ran a commuter train between Beaver Falls and Pittsburgh with the College Hill station located at the north terminus. On July 12, 1985, the P&LE made its last commuter run, making College Hill the last station to be used by passengers on the railroad. This would also be the final passenger train for the station. By 1993, the P&LE was bought by CSX Transportation, and the station was abandoned.

[edit] Current status

The station building is still standing as of 2008, but is slowly deteriorating after being closed for more than twenty years. The station is the farthest building from the center of campus at Geneva. It is also located at the bottom of a large embankment along the Beaver River near the Eastvale Bridge. Because of its locale, the station can easily be missed. Many students at the college are unaware that the station even exists. As of 2008, there are no plans to restore the structure.