Paxson-Croasdale Building and Trolley
Newtown Heritage Walk No. 30
The Croasdale building, located at 2-4 South State Street, was built in 1853. This building was the center of Newtown's commercial activities, housing dry goods stores, the First National Bank and several lodges. During the Civil War, the front of the third floor was used exclusively for the making of infantry topcoats by women of the community.
In the bottom photo at left, note the sign at left advertising Hutchinson's railway express business, where trolley and taxi tickets were sold. The trolley stopped at this intersection each day on its route, making this building the first place many people saw during their visits to Newtown.
The Newtown Electric Street Railway Company electric trolley operated from 1897 to 1923. At the turn of the century, hourly trolley service was offered to Doylestown, Langhorne, Bristol and Trenton via Yardley, all of which supplemented the considerable rail service to Philadelphia. With railroad connections, one could reach New York in just over two hours.
Trolleys were equipped with wooden benches and a potbelly stove to keep passengers warm. Not known for the smoothest of rides, trolleys were also equipped with a sandbox in the rear as an aid for slippery rails and motion sickness. The advent of the automobile brought the trolley era to a close by 1923. The building still serves as an important retail center today.
Marker is at the intersection of State Street and Washington Avenue, on the right when traveling south on State Street.
Courtesy hmdb.org
