Discover gets grant for welcome center
>> State Rep. Steve Malagari, D-53rd Dist., announced Friday that local nonprofit Discover Lansdale received a $14,310 grant to go toward the development of the town’s welcome center.
The 1902 Reading Freight House, a striking stone structure, will undergo renovations to serve as Lansdale’s welcome center. The freight area will be repurposed as a public/private venue to support operations.
“The Reading Freight House is among the most iconic and visible structures in our community, so it’s the perfect place to welcome travelers or anyone just passing through our area,” Malagari said in a statement.
“Lansdale has a rich history and its own unique personality, so I am hopeful that a welcome center will attract others to the area who will see that.”
This grant comes from the Keystone Historic Preservation grant program. The program is used to fund preservation, rehabilitation and restoration activities of historic sites that are eligible for or listed in the National Register of Historic Places. A complete list of awardees is available online.
The freight station is just east of the intersection of Broad and Vine Streets, and the stone station building was constructed around 1902. It has been owned by
Discover Lansdale since 2016, a gravel parking lot around the station is owned by the town’s parking authority — which plans to pave it — and a portion of the Liberty Bell Trail runs along adjacent train tracks, which connects additional trail segments on Railroad Avenue and at the adjacent Andale Green development.
The borough’s historical society made the case to council in early 2016 for a public purchase of the station and use as a visitor center, museum and storage space, and the historical society and Discover have partnered with various local businesses on fundraisers and cleanup efforts on the site ever since.
“The Reading Freight House is ... the perfect place to welcome travelers or anyone just passing through our area.” — State Rep. Steve Malagari, D-53rd