The railroad line was very important for the development of Perkasie. When the railroad tunnel was built through the mountain at the Ridge Road and the railroad line was completed in the 1850's, a community started that became the town of Perkasie. Just outside of Perkasie in East Rockhill there is a great deal of evidence of the railroad company's past. Numerous artifacts and the foundations of many buildings on the railroad property can be found in the Rockhill Road area.

RAILROAD PROPERTY NEAR THE EAST ROCKHILL STATION The signal that was used to show when a train was coming to the East Rockhill railroad station. It was located next to the railroad line in East Rockhill Township (photo looking toward railroad bridge on Rockhill Road).		This photo shows evidence of a natural spring that flowed through the railroad company property and fed the cistern (a water holding container). This pipe shows evidence of a water pipe used with the cistern on the railroad property.
Remains of a railroad signal are broken on the ground next to the railroad line.		The foundation wall below is all that remains of the old cistern.

EAST ROCKHILL WATER STATION

A water pump was placed next to the railroad in East Rockhill to refuel the steam engines traveling along the railroad line between Allentown /Bethlehem and Philadelphia.

This water station is slightly up the line (north) from the East Rockhill railroad property described above. The water tank that was placed next to the railroad tracks was used to refill the steam engines with water. (Notice the steam coming from chimney at the far right.) The water tank and pump are no longer in use because of the coal powered trains that took their place. But you can be assured that it is one of the many reasons Perkasie grew to be one of the largest boroughs in this region of Pennsylvania. Without these things, Perkasie would not have been able to use one of the greatest natural resources, water, so economically.

About fifty years ago there was no longer a need for the water station. This happened because of the coal and diesel engines that replaced the steam engines on trains. The water station is now a charming historical site in East Rockhill Township, Pennsylvania.

This photo from the 1800's, shows the water tower and its workers. The workers were very important to the water station because of the human energy necessary for working the pump as was the custom in the 1800's.		Today you cannot see the water station from Rockhill Road where it sits next to the railroad tracks and the Rockhill Quarry in East Rockhill. With permission from the business owner one can walk along the property next to the quarry to see this treasure from the past. It sits in a swampy location and for many years was maintained by the quarry owners. It is amazing that it has survived so long under these conditions.