One of Radnor's most important and underappreciated buildings is finally being restored after years of neglect. The rectangular brick former substation of the Philadelphia & Western railroad was built around 1907, when the railroad first began service from Philadelphia to Strafford. This station was designated "Sub-Station-1," as more similar generator buildings were planned for the line. It turned out that the Ithan station made more than enough power for the whole Strafford line, even creating a surplus of electricity which was sold to neighbors. The building was eventually sold to Edward Fenno Hoffman, Jr., a sculptor, who used the large one-roomed building for his studio. Hoffman died in 1971, and the building was probably abandoned around this time. It quietly sat for decades, its multitude of tiny windows breaking one by one, its mortar and plaster crumbling away. Still, the building was never sold by Hoffman's family. In the Spring of 2005, the long-awaited Radnor Trail was completed, and this amazing building was at last exposed to the public. Whether for this reason or some other, Hoffman's family finally decided to restore the building back to its original state. The restoration, began earlier this summer, seems to be a very meticulous and careful one; each of the mullioned windows is being repaired, mortar and stucco are being replaced. It is a welcome site to see such an historically important and attractive building being brought back to life. In a letter (now removed) to curious trail users posted on a fence closest to the building, the Hoffman family briefly described the building's history and their intent, and asked that their privacy and property be respected. If you would like to know more about the building, please visit the P&W page.