Stafford Township Historical Society

Manahawkin Railroad Station

Photo taken by Walt Piechowski of the Times Beacon (1990)

The Manahawkin Train Station was moved in 1990 from its original location at Letts and Stafford Ave., about where Larry's Barber shop now stands, to it's present location in Heritage Park. The Historical Society raised funds for the restoration of the historic building. The insides have been refinished and you can still see the many years of use scuffed into the floor.
In 1883 and 1884, the Pennsylvania Railroad built the first railroad bridge from Manahawkin to Ship Bottom and the down to Beach Haven and north to Barnegat City. This line connected with the Tuckerton Railroad at Manahawkin where the Manahawkin Station was later constructed.
The Pennsylvania and Tuckerton Railroads ceased operations around 1935 due to increased availability of automobiles and the loss of the trestle bridge to Long Beach Island during a storm.
The station is currently being used as an Information Center (funded by the Southern Ocean Chamber of Commerce) and museum for Stafford.
Open on Saturdays, 10am to 2pm during the summer months.

This is how the inside of the train station appeared around the turn of the last century.

This is the station now. Notice that the back wall and door from the last picture have been removed but the evidence of that wall is still marked on the floor.