former streetcar that has been in a residential section of northern Schuylkill County for 93 years was part of daily transportation in turn-of-the-century Tamaqua.

Research associated with the sale of Ashland’s “trolley house” last August indicates that the streetcar was built in 1896, part of the Tamaqua and Lansford Street Railway Company.

The car, at 16th and Walnut streets, reportedly had been moved from Tamaqua to Port Carbon, then finally to Ashland in about 1930. Because of the Port Carbon-Ashland move, some mistakenly believed the streetcar had originated with the nearby Pottsville Union Traction Company.

However, historical records indicate that the Tamaqua trolley company had acquired the Pottsville company’s assets in 1906.

The car’s former owner confirmed that the unit not only came from Tamaqua but has a unique local story attached with it as well, although a sad one.

“It’s the exact one that hit and killed three people in an automobile accident in 1925 or 1926 in Tamaqua,” says Victor Smith of Pottsville, former volunteer with the Schuylkill County Historical Society.

Smith says the trolley was placed in Ashland and operated as a Texaco service station, the town’s second gas station.

After that, the trolley served as an ice cream stand and candy store, then grocery store. It was then abandoned until 1962 before serving new use for the Gordon Pigeon Club.

Smith says the trolley is made of wood and includes a rear attached room made from trolley salvage material from 1928. There is a good chance that material also originated in Tamaqua.

Some believe the trolley’s age, condition and current situation might make it difficult to relocate.

“It’s only the frame and doesn’t have wheels so that’s why it’s hard to move and it’s not sitting on a foundation either,” Smith says.

Smith had hoped to restore it but found the task too daunting.

Last August, he sold the trolley to Mahanoy Properties LLC.

Current owner Mark Holencik of Mahanoy Properties has indicated that he does not have time to restore the building and would be open to options.

Dale Freudenberger, president of the Tamaqua Historical Society, said a few early Tamaqua streetcars have surfaced.

In at least one instance, an owner has indicated a desire to donate one of them to an interested party.

“There is one in very rough condition sitting right now in the woods near Cressona,” Freudenberger said.

The land owners reportedly have said they’d be willing to offer it for restoration.

Freudenberger said there were two other units that used to be part of the White Diner in South Tamaqua before being burned in a fire years ago.

A Facebook history forum discussion a year ago focused on potential to bring one of the town’s streetcars back to the community.

Freudenberger was hoping an individual or group would be interested in acquiring and displaying it in town, if possible.

Tamaqua and Lansford Street Railway’s electric streetcars operated in Tamaqua from 1898 to 1906.

Expansion and acquisition of other trolley companies saw the Tamaqua business change its name to Eastern Pennsylvania Railways Company from 1906 to 1921.

From 1921 to 1932, it then operated as East Penn Electric Company. However, in 1932 bus service supplanted trolleys.

Streetcars ceased operating in Tamaqua on Aug. 15, 1931, although iron rails running the length of Broad Street remained for many years.