East Stroudsburg station

The East Stroudsburg station is an unused train station built by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. The station served as the local stop for both East Stroudsburg and Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. The depot, known locally as the Dansbury Depot for the restaurant that used in building, is located on Crystal Street in East Stroudsburg. The last train to service the main line of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western was on October 16, 1960^[2] and the last through train to Buffalo on the Phoebe Snow ran in 1966.^[3]

New Jersey Transit, the local commuter railroad for trains in New Jersey via New York City, has cited future use of land south of the East Stroudsburg station site, using 228 parking spaces and one side level platform. The station is only about 80 miles (130 km) from New York City and would become part of the new Lackawanna Cut-Off line. However, on October 26, 2009, a fire rushed through the station depot, built in 1856.^[4]

In early July, 2010 local developer Troy Nauman entered a contract to purchase the East Stroudsburg station and announced plans to demolish the historic station and replace it with a new three story apartment building. The impending loss of the station caught the community by surprise and several preservation movements were started by residents, several of which coalesced under the Save the Dansbury Depot Citizens Group. The group lobbied elected officials for a "cooling off" period and attempted to negotiate a waiting period with the station's new owner, who had announced plans to redevelop the site.^[5]. Its Facebook page attracted over 3,600 members who were urged to attend local public meetings and donate funds to save the building.

Preservation efforts included pledges of $500,000 from Dr. Joseph Mattioli, who owns Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.^[6] Although a judge delayed the demolition with an injunction on July 24, 2010,^[7] it was reversed by another judge only four days later and demolition has begun, despite outcry.^[8][9]

In response to public outcry, a plan for rehabilitation and reuse of the oldest part of the original station was implemented by The Eastburg Community Alliance. The station currently sits in a public parking lot on the eastern side of the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Rail Authority RR track, awaiting a concrete pad on which to be set permanently.^[10]

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