Sunday, March 27, 2016

Pennsylvania Railway Line Then and Now

In the spring of 1941, Barbara Jones and Donna Garland grabbed a camera and walked around Irvington to pose for different shots. The young women inadvertently documented various sites around the neighborhood including this image of the Pennsylvania Railway. You will note that in 1941, the crossing guard used to be located in the middle of the street! One has to wonder how many cars plowed into that concrete base. Behind Miss Garland, you can clearly see the lovely cottage located at 108 South Audubon Road.

Dr. John R. Scherer (1891-1977) and his wife Rosa Youngling Scherer (1892-1971) dwelled in the house at the time of the photo. The Scherers along with their three children had resided there since 1932. Dr. Scherer purchased the home from Dr. John Anderson.  The Scherers moved out of the city in 1944.  Eventually the home was enlarged into a double in 1952 or 1953.

The Pennsylvania Railway has now been converted into a beautiful walking and biking path in 2016.

Donna Garland, photographed by Barbara Jones, posed in the middle of South Audubon Road near the Pennsylvania Railway in the spring of 1941. Note that the railroad crossing used to be on a concrete pedestal in the middle of the street. Behind her, you can see the lovely nineteenth-century cottage at 108 South Audubon Road. 

In 2016, the Pennsylvania Railway is now a bike and walking path. 

108 South Audubon Road in 2016
The historic image is courtesy of the Jones Family Collection.  

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