Mechanicsburg was the site of a fuel wood and water station for locomotives from the beginning of Cumberland Valley Railroad operations in 1837. Our earliest map of this property is from 1858, and shows it owned by the CVRR, with a building that is most likely the wood and water station.
In 1874, the first CVRR "Freight House" was built in Mechanicsburg. Before this, most freight was handled by independent freight forwarders, who owned their own freight cars, and worked from their warehouses in town.
About 1886, a new siding was added to the two track main line here, and the current freight station was built. Over the years and into the 1950s, shipments to and from both individuals and companies in town passed through the station and its adjoining "Freight Shed" (now gone).
The Mechanicsburg Museum Association purchased the station in 1987 to complement the town's "historic district." Now known as the "Museum at the Freight Station". The museum offers three exhibits each year which focus on areas of community and local interest.
The Freight Station is also home to the Museum Store, which carries distinctive specialty items and heritage crafts from Mechanicsburg.
