Memories of Perkasie

​From Baskets to Woodstoves
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2015 Perkasie Railroad Station Rick Doll image

2016 Perkasie Railroad Station Rick Doll image

​In 1975 Roger Stiles advertised baskets for sale in the Sunday New York Times Newspaper and in Apartment Life Magazine. He received many orders and arranged for an entire boxcar of baskets to be shipped from a manufacturer in Mexico.

When the boxcar was enroute, Roger worried about where he would store the baskets when they arrived. Having just an apartment, he contacted the railroad about leaving them in the boxcar. A railroad official told him there was a fee for boxcar storage, but the Perkasie Station building was available.

2017 Interior Perkasie Railroad Station, Rick Doll image

The next day the railroad real estate agent arrived by train from Philadelphia and met Roger at Perkasie Station. The station had been closed for many years and had the windows boarded up and broken glass all over the floor. Needing a place for basket storage he decided to lease it.
The next few days were spent cleaning up the broken glass and readying the station. 

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​When the boxcar arrived, it was placed in the small rail yard that was located on the site of the current 8th Street parking lot. The baskets had to be carried over the tracks and into the station (see blue arrow on the rail yard photo to the right). By the time the boxcar was empty, the station was filled with baskets leaving only an eight-foot empty space near the front door.

1940 circa Perkasie raii yard complements of Rich Jahn ARHS

2016 Perkasie Railroad Station, Rick Doll image

​Perkasie Container Company made shipping boxes and over a few months the baskets were all shipped to their buyers. Roger Stiles would go on to continually lease both the Perkasie freight and passenger stations until 2017 for American Energy Alternatives, his woodstove business. 



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Doll