THE MANVILLE-WESTON STATION.
THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN BY BOB PENNISI. I PURCHASED IT AT THE BIG LITTLE RAILROAD SHOP IN SOMERVILLE. USED WITHOUT PERMISSION… AS A FELLOW RAILROAD APPRECIATOR I HOPE AND FEEL THAT HE WON’T MIND
Weston-Manville station was built in 1882 by the Philadelphia-Reading Railroad right near the corner of JFK Blvd. and Main Street. I believe you can still see the stairs there that used to go up to the station, right next to the “old tunnel” which is buried but can also still be seen. It was built on a 27 mile long short line connecting Trenton to Bound Brook… called the Delaware & Bound Brook line, which also stopped in Hopewell and Pennington. The D&BB stop at Weston-Manville was crucial to the town, especially given all the new growing industry and plentiful available land to build on. The building itself has been pretty well documented though history including a gorgeous watercolor painting by Ranulf Bye… and still stood abandoned well into the 70′s. My grandfather told me when he was younger the station was sort of a little hang out for some of the kids in town, he recalled there being a fireplace inside the building. From what I understand there were some folks squatting in the building after it fell out of use. Im not why it wasn’t preserved as it seemed a crucial part of the towns history, and sort of a historical landmark in its own right. Anyways here are a few more photos… as always I look forward to anymore input anyone might have on this stuff… and as always thank you.
THIS IS THE STATION AFTER IT WAS ABANDONED IN THE 70′S. I FOUND THIS PHOTO ON RAILROAD STATION HISTORICAL WEBSITE
THIS IS A WATERCOLOR PAINTING OF THE STATION BY RANULF BYE… PAINTED IN 1965. IT’S A BEAUTIFUL PAINTING IN IT’S OWN RIGHT. THANKS TO JOE ZARNOWSKI AND MIKE KULL FOR HELPING ME GET THIS RIGHT AS I HAD SOME MISINFORMATION.
I SNAGGED THIS ONE OF OFF A ZAREPATH HISTORY SITE… A GREAT SHOT OF THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STATION AS YOU’RE COMING INTO TOWN. I THINK THIS WAS DATED 1912.
August 4, 2009 at 5:08 pm
I have a randulf bye of what looks like a farmhouse…is it valuable?
September 9, 2009 at 9:58 pm
I own two I sure hope so……….
October 12, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Hello! I have a Lithograph(print) of the Ranulph Bye watercolor of the Weston-Manville Station for sale.
Any interest? I will be happy to send you pictures in an email.
Lithograph measures 18.50 ” x 12.50″ in a 19″x25″ frame.
I have a similar one for sale on ebay now of the Hopewell, NJ station that is unframed.
LOVE YOUR SITE. VERY INTERESTING & INFORMATIVE.
I look forward to hearing from you.
RUTHANNE MCCABE
July 7, 2010 at 11:03 pm
When I was growing up in Manville (1960 – 1973 when we moved to FL) I remember a girl named Alice who I think lived in the railroad house. I’m not sure of the spelling of her last name. It was something like Skasko??
July 7, 2010 at 11:06 pm
I would like to know where I might be able to purchase a print of this old railroad house, as both my parents were born and raised in the area. My dad is Thomas Chaplinsky and my mom is Patricia Rogozinski Chaplinsky. I grew up on Jasinski Ave. (last house on the dead end.)
July 10, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Hey Venus, I actually got the black and white photo on the top from “The Big Little Railroad Shop” in Somerville NJ. It’s right on Main Street. If you ask the person working they can order you a print of it… I think I paid a few bucks for a nice big 8×10 print of each one, and they come in like a week or so. Prints of that watercolor painting occasionally show up on ebay, you just have to keep an eye out for it.
July 21, 2010 at 4:38 pm
Thank you for the information. I appreciate it.
October 22, 2010 at 11:11 am
It wasn’t preserved because that was not something people did at the time. I remember the night it burned down (I grew up in Weston) but don’t remember what year…thinking sometime between 1981 and 1984. There was a great deal of concern that some nearby propane tanks were going to blow. Thing burned to the ground in almost no time flat; all that old, dry wood went up in a flash. I don’t know if it was accidental or arson; you could probably find out more details.
December 11, 2010 at 2:40 am
Not sure of the years, but the Casterline’s lived at that station for a time, in the 60′s, before moving across the street from Ted’s market.
July 23, 2011 at 2:57 pm
I have a Ranulph Bye watercolor of the WestonManville station., the third picture on the web site, showing the tracks and the railroad signals overhead. The label on the back reads it was painted in 1965, is 14 x 21 (mine is smaller), signed , titled, and dated on the backside. Reg. No. 2219C Ranulph Bye (1916 Princeton, New Yersey.) (Label misspelled.) Offered for EUR 5995.00 = appr. US$ 8776.68 by KRUL Antiquarian Books – Book number 5179
Wyel, box2003@comcast.net
June 26, 2012 at 11:26 pm
i am not sure where you get your info but the casterline family never lived there at anytime. the family that did live there was the skasko family there were steven , maryann , mary , little steve, alice and michele so if you are going to write info GET IT RIGHT. Because I know more about this then you will ever know. So write about what you know. It wasnt abandoned in the 70′s, because people I named above lived there for about 25 years or so. They also lived there rent free. thank you, dee
June 26, 2012 at 11:53 pm
Hello Dee,
This is Mike the owner of this site. We all appreciate the additional info about this house. The point of the comments section is to fish for the correct information and to have a discussion. There is no need to insult anyone or get upset. I do not want to discourage people from contributing whether or not they have their information nailed down to an exact date. As far as my own posts, well this is supposed to be educational for myself as well as everyone else. I’m sorry if I was given wrong info, I don’t know everything, and I’m not a historian… I’m just trying to learn about my hometown. Again, thank you for the additional information… if you have anything else on this place we would love to hear it… but we just do not need negativity. Thanks.
June 27, 2012 at 7:38 am
Hello Mike,
There is no negativity, you just don’t know how much I know about the Manville Train Station. I can tell just about anything you would like to know. But PLEASE don’t insult me I would love to help with anything that you would like to know. I did not think that I was being rude or having negativity. If can talk you will unstand my feeling about this matter. Manville is my home town also.
Thanks,
Dee
July 7, 2012 at 11:07 am
Hello Mike,
It was my understanding that you wanted info about the Manville Train Station. Here I can give any info you need but you got negative when I told you that the info you were given was incorrect I am just trying to HELP you in any way I can I have alot of info . I just want the right info to be put in black and white. Don’t mad or upset just let the right info be put out there that is the right thing to do. I WOULD LOVE TO HELP YOU!!!!
Thanks,
Dee
March 4, 2013 at 3:58 pm
Hi Dee,
My mother used to live in this station growing up. Mary Skasko. You seem to be very familiar with this station, manville, and also the family. Do you happen to know her? I am doing a little family history research and would love to hear any knowledge you have of my family and the train station. Feel free to respond back to me!