Passaic Park (Erie Railroad station)
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PASSAIC PARK
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Passaic Park station in 1914, eight years prior to the Type IV building's demolition in 1922 on a postcard. BE Drawbridge over the Passaic River is visible in the distance.
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| Location | Aycrigg Avenue, Passaic, New Jersey | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 40°50′52″N 74°07′21″W / 40.847719°N 74.12245°WCoordinates: 40°50′52″N 74°07′21″W / 40.847719°N 74.12245°W | ||||||||||
| Owned by |
Erie Railroad (1883–1960) Erie Lackawanna Railway (1960–1963) |
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| Line(s) | Erie Railroad Main Line | ||||||||||
| Platforms | 2 side platforms | ||||||||||
| Tracks | 2 main line | ||||||||||
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| Platform levels | 1 | ||||||||||
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| Station code | 2127 | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| Opened | c. 1851 | ||||||||||
| Closed | April 2, 1963 | ||||||||||
| Rebuilt | 1870; 1923 | ||||||||||
| Previous names | Passaic Bridge | ||||||||||
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Passaic Park Station (formerly known as Passaic Bridge) was a former railroad station for the Erie Railroad's main line in Passaic, New Jersey in the epomonyous section of the city. The station was located between the Carlton Hill station and the Prospect Street station. The station was the easternmost of four Erie stations that served the city of Passaic, being demolished in 1963 as part of the abandonment of the railroad line through Passaic and Clifton. Passaic Park station, originally opened as part of the Paterson and Ramapo Railroad, was reconstructed in 1888 as a 57-by-16-foot (17.4 m × 4.9 m) wooden structure. The wooden station was the common design for station depots used by the Erie Railroad, designated Type IV. The station was replaced in 1923 with a Spanish tile roof station made of concrete and stone, after six years of litigation between the railroad and the city of Passaic.
The station at Passaic Park was first called Passaic Bridge, as the station was located immediately westward of the line's exit from the BE Drawbridge over the Passaic River. The original station structure was built in 1888 near the grade crossing of Aycrigg Avenue and Main Ave in Passaic. The 1888 construction included two wooden structures. One the westbound side 57-by-16-foot (17.4 m × 4.9 m) was a shelter with a baggage office, ticket agent and restrooms. The second building, on the eastbound side, was a shelter with no facilities. By August 1911, the station was renamed to Passaic Park.
The site traversed what is today the southeast edge of Schevchenko Park and several homes constructed next to the park after the railroad abandoned the right of way.
On November 2, 1916, the city of Passaic filed a petition with the Board of Public Utility Commissioners to demand that the Erie replace the 28-year-old wooden station at Passaic Park. The city felt that in particular, the eastbound platform at Passaic Park was a "menace" to health of their residents, facilities for drivers at the station were inadequate, and protection from the elements were not sufficient. The petition filed said the Erie had agreed that a new station at Passaic Park was necessary, and the city had appropriated land for a new facility. The Erie responded on May 1, 1917 to the petition, citing that a new station was in negotiations with the city, in which an agreement had been made to a new design based on the character of the area. However, there were problems in the design of the roof and due to the position of the railroad, a larger than affordable station was probably necessary. The railroad also said that the city's need for basic facilities is not needed, especially during the summer months and they felt this could wait until after World War I as supplies were needed for the war effort.
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