In 1979, Ken Hill moved his machine shop out of a house in Lansford and into the town’s old train station.

The building needed a lot of work. But as he turned it into a workshop for his life’s work, he made sure to preserve anything original he could from the historic structure.

“I never gave a thought to (trains returning), but I wanted to retain the features,” said Hill, who retired and closed his business Dec. 31, after 65 years of work.

On Thursday, Hill officially sold the building to a new owner, the borough of Lansford, one he chose because of a shared commitment to its history. The Borough of Lansford is purchasing the building to preserve it and host tourists, and possibly someday return train excursions.

“It’s tough, but I feel good about it. They’re going to make it happen,” he said.

Long before the train station was his machine shop, Hill had an interest in it. As a child, both he and his wife, Jeanie, would play on the loading docks and the dirt around the station. He would walk inside the Hauto tunnel, grabbing pipes on the tunnel walls to avoid passing locomotives.

He grew up only one generation removed from the railroad’s history as a passenger station. His mother would ride a train from Lansford to New York.

“The round trip was 80 cents. But that was a lot of money in those days,” he said.

After the train station closed, it housed a couple different industries. When Hill took it over, much of the interior had been gutted. But there were some original features, like the passenger ticket booth, and the Lehigh and New England lettering on the front of the building.

Hill encased the ticket booth when he built offices and a break room near the old dock.

Over the next 40 years, Hill’s business created unique parts for machines used by a wide range of industries in Carbon, Schuylkill and beyond.

He worked alongside a loyal crew, who he teared up talking about on Thursday. Ken Nevenglosky has over 48 years with him. Robert Nevenglosky worked for 37. He said he loved the ability to constantly tackle new challenges using the lathes and drill presses that fill the old station.

“From one day to the next, it’s mind-boggling how fascinating some things are that you have to reproduce,” Robert Nevenglosky said.

Robert said he was surprised when, at 80 years old, his old boss said he was actually planning to retire.

After Hill announced his plans in December, there were several calls to purchase the building, and another warehouse building located nearby. But they were most intrigued by the borough’s offer; $150,000 was less than other buyers were willing to pay, but the borough wants to preserve the station as a historic attraction, and sell the other warehouse to help fund it.

Hill admitted that selling the building where he and his employees have worked for decades was one of the hardest things he’s ever had to do. But knowing that it is going to be preserved for the community, and the possibility of train excursions returning someday, made it easier.

Train service may be a long-term goal. The tracks stop only a short distance away in Coaldale, and are still used to transport anthracite coal.

Hill said he hopes to be around to see the borough’s plans realized. But for now, he says he’s ready to travel with his wife. One of his first stops is to a full-scale replica of Noah’s Ark located in Kentucky.

Jeanie Hill says it’s been hard for her to let go of the building as well. But she reminds herself that while they owned it, they were only the temporary custodians of the historic building.

“I told him, you really only got this building on loan from history. Now it’s come full circle, and it’s time to give it back to its rightful owner, and the rightful owner is history,” she said.