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Lambertville would be a
delightful stop along life’s path no matter
where it was located. The fact that it sits on the east bank of the
Delaware River directly across from New Hope, Pennsylvania lends much
to the journey. Both communities abound in 18th and 19th century
history, lore and architecture.
On an unusually mild August afternoon, I break with my standard modus
operandi and abandon the comfortable confines of the inside pub at the
Lambertville Station and take my libations at their outside bar. The
Canal Side Bar sits alongside a dormant stretch of track that for most
of its operational life had been owned by either the Belvidere Delaware
or Pennsylvania Railroad. Running parallel to these rails is a section
of the D&R canal. |
Courtesy
of Lambertville Station
THE INSIDE BAR IS CONGENIAL AND COMFORTABLE
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As I
sip a very agreeable amber ale from the local River
Horse Brewery,
I am struck by the powerful natural and man-made forces that converge
at this location. THE LAMBERTVILLE STATION is a
magnificent stone
structure that was designed by Thomas Ustick Walter, the prominent
Philadelphia architect who designed the north and south wings, and the
cast-iron dome of the Capitol in Washington.
By the time the station was completed in 1867 the railroad line had
already
been active from Trenton to Belvidere for over a
decade, and the sixty
mile long Delaware and Raritan Canal had
been moving people and cargo
across New Jersey for some thirty three years. This well-engineered
transportation system connected the coal fields of Pennsylvania to the
industrial furnaces of New York. The successful harnessing of water and
fire would provide links to isolated communities, grow commerce, and
help to unleash the nation’s manufacturing might. |
LAMBERTVILLE STATION
11 BRIDGE
STREET
LAMBERTVILLE, NEW JERSEY 08530
RESTAURANT: (609) 397-8300
INN: (609) 397-4400
www.lambertvillestation.com
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