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–Not graded
History · Railroad

Railroad dates to 1792, and 78% of its homes were built before 1940

1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 45 buildings. Below: old-book passages.

1792founded
1on the National Register
78%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Railroad began

When was Railroad founded?

1792

Railroad dates its founding to 1792 (Wikidata). Its post office opened in 1858.

2020 census: 256234 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1858.The full story ↓

What stands out about Railroad’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Railroad are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.A historic districtThe Railroad Borough Historic District takes in 45 historic buildings.Old housesHalf of Railroad’s homes were built before 1938.Deep rootsEstablished in 1792: 234 years of Railroad.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Railroad’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Railroad’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the National Register

1 listing protects 45 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
45
each building in a district counts
first listed
1984
Railroad Borough Historic District
Railroad Borough Historic District
Districts

Architectural styles listings

Greek Revival1
Italianate1
Queen Anne1
Georgian1
Railroad Borough Historic DistrictGreek Revival

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

The story

How Railroad came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Railroad.

Read it all →

The borough of Railroad owes its existence, and its name, to what became the Northern Central Railway, which was built to connect Baltimore, Maryland and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Railroad Borough Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

Laura Randall described Railroad as a "tiny town of three hundred people near the Maryland border... home to the Jackson House B&B, a popular crab shack, and not much else."

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Railroad in 1875

Passages that mention Railroad, cut from the printed page as they were published.

DiLLERViLLE, sixty-uiue and one -half miles. — Point of intersection of the Harrisburg and Lancaster Railroad with the Columbia Railroad (built by the State of Pennsylvania, and now owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company). The Harrisburg and Lancaster Railroad is leased by the Pennsylvania Rail…
The Pennsylvania railroad1875 · page 100Read the page →
Read the text

DiLLERViLLE, sixty-uiue and one -half miles. — Point of intersection of the Harrisburg and Lancaster Railroad with the Columbia Railroad (built by the State of Pennsylvania, and now owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company). The Harrisburg and Lancaster Railroad is leased by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company for the

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
(Junction of Tyrone and Clearfield Railroad, running through the bituminous coal-fields and lumber regions of Clearfield and Centre counties to Curwensville, distance fortyseven miles; of the Bald Eagle Valley Railroad, running to the city of Lock Haven, distance fifty-five miles, where connection …
The Pennsylvania railroad1875 · page 137Read the page →
Read the text

(Junction of Tyrone and Clearfield Railroad, running through the bituminous coal-fields and lumber regions of Clearfield and Centre counties to Curwensville, distance fortyseven miles; of the Bald Eagle Valley Railroad, running to the city of Lock Haven, distance fifty-five miles, where connection is made with the Philadelphia and Erie Rail-

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

By decade

Railroad, decade by decade

Today6 recent
Pennsylvania State Route 8512009Pennsylvania State Route 851Pennsylvania State Route 8512009Pennsylvania State Route 851Pennsylvania State Route 8512009Pennsylvania State Route 851Pennsylvania State Route 8512009Pennsylvania State Route 851Pennsylvania State Route 8512009Pennsylvania State Route 851Pennsylvania State Route 8512009Pennsylvania State Route 851
Famous people

Famous people close to Railroad

Nobody well known was born in Railroad itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Cameron MitchellAmerican actor · b. 1918
L
Lzzy HaleAmerican singer and guitarist · b. 1983
Isaac Newton LewisAmerican soldier and inventor of the Lewis gun · b. 1858
William F. GoodlingAmerican politician · b. 1927
R
Richard ShaullAmerican theologian · b. 1919
R
Ron WolfAmerican football general manager · b. 1938
Places that used to be

Old corners

Railroad’s post office has been open since 1858.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Shrewsbury Station

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Shrewsbury Township4 historic placesB+New Freedom1 historic placeB

Questions about Railroad’s history

What year was Railroad founded?

In 1792, according to Wikidata. Railroad’s post office opened in 1858.

What is on the National Register in Railroad?

One place: the Railroad Borough Historic District (listed 1984).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (6), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.