Three Miles to Maplewood: The Rahway Valley Railroad

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Step back in time with historian and author Richard J. King for a fascinating look at the Newark Heights Branch of the Rahway Valley Railroad—a three-mile-long line that once ran from Union to a bustling industrial neighborhood in Maplewood’s Hilton Section.

Built during World War I, with hopes of spurring the growth of businesses, the Newark Heights Branch (the railroad’s station name for Maplewood) served coal yards, manufacturing plants, and warehouses before quietly vanishing from the landscape. Through rare images and maps, Mr. King will chart the branch’s construction in 1915, the industries it served, the line’s ultimate abandonment, and remaining reminders of its rich history. He’ll also detail the history of the Rahway Valley Railroad mainline, which served Roselle Park, Kenilworth, Springfield, and Summit.

Mr. King is the author of three titles on the Rahway Valley Railroad, the products of years of rigorous research, interviews, and collecting. He serves as Chairman & Treasurer of the United Railroad Historical Society of NJ, and is President of Tri-State Railway Historical Society.

This event will take place at Durand-Hedden House. While this event is free, we ask visitors to consider making a donation when signing up by purchasing a donation ticket. All donations are welcome, appreciated, and support Durand-Hedden's mission, upkeep, and community events. Both complimentary and donation tickets are available at DurandHedden.org. Parking for Durand-Hedden House is available on nearby streets.

About Durand-Hedden House and Garden
The Durand-Hedden House and Garden Association is Maplewood’s historic house museum, dedicated to creating engaging and informative educational programs and materials about the local history of Maplewood and surrounding communities, natural history, and other related topics. The House, at 523 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood, is open once a month between September and June. For more information, visit our website at durandhedden.org. To arrange group tours, write to info@durandhedden.org. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter.