In 1881, Wayne Junction was opened by the Reading Railroad, although a small rail station had been at that location since 1857. These Victorian signal towers were built to control the junction, which became one of the central freight and passenger depots in the region. Major industries, notably Midvale Steel, opened near the station. At the same time, the large estates of Germantown were being broken up and sold to developers who built housing for employees of the new factories.