Working together to create a cultural hub honoring Ellwood City’s industrial and railroad history.
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All Aboard Ellwood (AAE) Our History and Future
The mission of All Aboard Ellwood Inc is to create a facility in Ellwood City that will honor the role that the railroad and local industry played in the development of our area. Our ultimate goal is to create a unique destination (and marketable tourism asset) that highlights the distinct identity of our community and encourages in-state and out-of-state visitors.
Originally a sub-organization of Ellwood City Community Enrichment, the All Aboard Ellwood group- inspired by a generous property gift-began soliciting partners from the community such as the Borough of Ellwood City, CSX Railroad, Genesee and Wyoming (B&P) Railroad, Amerikohl Aggregates Inc., Ecolab, Lutz & Myers Inc, Creekside Springs, McElwain Motors, The Hoyt Foundation, McDonald’s, WesBanco, Armstrong and many other generous businesses and individuals.
Our Three Phase Plan
Creekside Springs offered to lease a parcel of land near the 4th Street and Beaver Avenue intersection. A perfect place to locate a rail panel! CSX donated a caboose, which was delivered to Ellwood City January 7, 2021, from a Richmond, VA rail yard. Genesee and Wyoming (B&P) track personnel, along with Ellwood City Borough, built the platform where the caboose is placed. Base stone and ballast which surrounds the panel was provided by Amerikohl Aggregates, Inc.
AAE partnered with Boy Scouts of America, who, through the efforts of Matthew Gebhardt, provided a beautifully landscaped area adjacent to the caboose. PHASE ONE COMPLETE!
Our phase two ambition has long been to purchase the former VFW property (once the home of the historic Merchants & Manufacturers organization), ideally located on 4th Street directly across from the current location of the caboose, near the downtown area, and immediately adjacent to the active railroad!
The property was acquired in late 2022 and then the real work began! A thorough inspection determined the building to be unsafe and not a candidate for renovation. The building was condemned, the interior contents cleaned out, and asbestos was professionally and safely removed. The building was taken down January 26. This leads directly into Phase three!
Our phase three ambition will take a lot of fundraising and team work! Our long term goal is to build a replica of Ellwood City’s original passenger train station -a unique destination that will be an asset to our community and honor the hardworking people who came before us.
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Ellwood City’s Original Passenger Train Station
Former VFW Building Razed 1/26/2023
We made the news!
The May Emma Hoyt Foundation pledges $400,000 to help build a replica train station in Ellwood City.
All Aboard Ellwood is so grateful to the May Emma Hoyt Foundation for the generous pledge and support.
Lawrence County group hopes to create facility that honors role railroad played in region
Ellwood City VFW building torn down to make room for railroad display
