A guide book of art, architecture, and historic interests in Pennsylvania
Part 1
A GUIDE BOOK OF ART, ARCHITECTURE, AND HISTORIC INTERESTS IN PENNSYLVANIA
A GUIDE BOOK OF ART, ARCHITECTURE, AND HISTORIC INTERESTS IN PENNSYLVANIA
EDITED BY A. MARGARETTA ARCHAMBAULT
ILLUSTRATED
PHILADELPHIA THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY 1924
Copyright, 1924, by THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY
_All rights reserved_
PRINTED IN THE U. S. A.
STATE FEDERATION OF PENNSYLVANIA WOMEN
_President_
MRS. JOHN B. HAMME
_Art Committee for the Guide Book_
MISS A. MARGARETTA ARCHAMBAULT, _Chairman_ Philadelphia MRS. ROSS BARROWS Lock Haven MRS. EARL BARNES Philadelphia MISS MARY S. GARRETSON Pittsburgh MRS. ETHEL HERRON HAYES Monongahela MISS ALICE HENRY Pittsburgh MRS. ROBERT MCKELVY Titusville MISS IRENE B. MARTIN Allentown MISS SARAH R. PAISTE West Chester MRS. JOHN G. READING Williamsport MRS. WALTER KING SHARPE Chambersburg MRS. ANDREW THOMPSON Honesdale
HAIL! PENNSYLVANIA
Hail! Pennsylvania, Noble and strong! To thee with loyal hearts We raise our song. Swelling to heaven, loud Our praises ring; Hail! Pennsylvania, Of thee we sing!
Majesty as a crown Rests on thy brow; Pride, Honor, Glory, Love, Before thee bow. Ne’er can thy spirit die, Thy walls decay; Hail! Pennsylvania, For thee we pray.
Hail! Pennsylvania, Guide of our youth! Lead thou thy children on To light and truth; Thee when death summons us, Others shall praise, Hail! Pennsylvania, Through endless days! _Edgar M. Dilley, U. of P., 1897._
_Lo, sons of no mean Commonwealth,_
* * * * *
_We exultant speak the name of State,_ _Proclaim the great “experiment” that wrought,_ _As if by necromance ’mong doubting men,_ _Fruition sure--beyond his ardent thought,_ _Yet hidden in very heart of Penn!_ _And bear the message, flash it sea to sea,_ _Who freedom serve must of themselves be free!_ _Harvey Maitland Watts._
THE PLAN OF THE BOOK
This Guide Book of Art, Architecture, and Historic Interests in Pennsylvania, commenced by advice of Mrs. Edward Biddle of Carlisle, and fostered by Mrs. Samuel Semple of Titusville, during their presidency of the “State Federation of Pennsylvania Women,” for the use of tourists, is arranged chronologically, beginning with the counties first formed; towns in each county follow each other in location as closely as possible. Works of good art in the state have been catalogued, together with a story of most interesting pioneer history, that each one of the sixty-seven counties should have a chapter in the book; those that have no art have the Indian trails and thrilling experiences of our first brave pathfinders.
Serious effort has been made to have all the information verified; in some instances, two or three counties have made the same claims for various historic firsts, which have here been given their proper record, through consultation with the State Historians at Harrisburg. To keep the book small, facts are scarcely more than outlined; further information about them may be obtained from the bibliography of this book.
The chapter of each county was written by a most responsible person, who lived there, judges, clergymen, historians, and a few by officers of the women’s clubs, thus giving inside knowledge that a stranger could never get. All dry-as-dust statistics are omitted, and only that which is of prominent interest is given. Authorities consulted have differed, and mistakes will occur; there will be sins of omission and commission in the work, according to the point of view of the reader; but they are few in comparison with the wealth of real information brought together within this cover.
To the many earnest helpers who have given their knowledge, time and patience in obtaining and sending these reports, warmest thanks and sincere appreciation are heartily given; all honor is due to them. We would like to give their names, but some have asked that they be withheld and it is thought best to do so with all.
A. MARGARETTA ARCHAMBAULT, Editor.
Philadelphia, June 15, 1917.
ADDENDA
This book, finished for publication in 1917, was placed in the vaults of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, as all money was needed for our soldiers. The present committee, appointed by Mrs. Hamme, has decided to publish the work as compiled in 1917, and not delay it by trying to bring the sixty-seven counties up to date. Conditions have been so unfavorable for new construction, since the war, that little has been done. The population of towns, however, has been advanced to the 1920 statistics.
A. M. ARCHAMBAULT.
Philadelphia, June 30, 1924.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
STATE FEDERATION OF PENNSYLVANIA WOMEN v
HAIL! PENNSYLVANIA vi
THE PLAN OF THE BOOK vii
PHILADELPHIA HISTORIC FIRSTS 1
CHAPTER
I. THE COMMONWEALTH, OR STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA (PENN’S WOODS) 24
II. BUCKS COUNTY 161
III. CHESTER COUNTY 175
IV. LANCASTER COUNTY 183
V. YORK COUNTY 193
VI. CUMBERLAND COUNTY 201
VII. NORTHAMPTON COUNTY 207
VIII. BERKS COUNTY 215
IX. BEDFORD COUNTY 223
X. NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY 227
XI. WESTMORELAND COUNTY 231
XII. WASHINGTON COUNTY 235
XIII. FAYETTE COUNTY 241
XIV. FRANKLIN COUNTY 247
XV. MONTGOMERY COUNTY 253
XVI. DAUPHIN COUNTY 271
XVII. LUZERNE COUNTY 277
XVIII. HUNTINGDON COUNTY 285
XIX. ALLEGHENY COUNTY 289
XX. MIFFLIN COUNTY 301
XXI. DELAWARE COUNTY 307
XXII. LYCOMING COUNTY 319
XXIII. SOMERSET COUNTY 323
XXIV. GREENE COUNTY 327
XXV. WAYNE COUNTY 331
XXVI. ADAMS COUNTY 337
XXVII. CENTER COUNTY 341
XXVIII. BEAVER COUNTY 347
XXIX. CRAWFORD COUNTY 351
XXX. ERIE COUNTY 355
XXXI. VENANGO COUNTY 363
XXXII. WARREN COUNTY 367
XXXIII. BUTLER COUNTY 371
XXXIV. MERCER COUNTY 375
XXXV. ARMSTRONG COUNTY 379
XXXVI. INDIANA COUNTY 381
XXXVII. CAMBRIA COUNTY 385
XXXVIII. CLEARFIELD COUNTY 391
XXXIX. TIOGA COUNTY 395
XL. MCKEAN COUNTY 399
XLI. POTTER COUNTY 403
XLII. JEFFERSON COUNTY 407
XLIII. SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY 409
XLIV. BRADFORD COUNTY 413
XLV. SCHUYLKILL COUNTY 419
XLVI. LEHIGH COUNTY 425
XLVII. LEBANON COUNTY 429
XLVIII. UNION COUNTY 433
XLIX. COLUMBIA COUNTY 437
L. PIKE COUNTY 439
LI. PERRY COUNTY 443
LII. JUNIATA COUNTY 445
LIII. MONROE COUNTY 449
LIV. CLARION COUNTY 453
LV. CLINTON COUNTY 455
LVI. WYOMING COUNTY 461
LVII. CARBON COUNTY 463
LVIII. ELK COUNTY 469
LIX. BLAIR COUNTY 473
LX. SULLIVAN COUNTY 477
LXI. FOREST COUNTY 481
LXII. LAWRENCE COUNTY 485
LXIII. FULTON COUNTY 489
LXIV. MONTOUR COUNTY 493
LXV. SNYDER COUNTY 495
LXVI. CAMERON COUNTY 501
LXVII. LACKAWANNA COUNTY 505
BIBLIOGRAPHY 509
ILLUSTRATIONS
READING THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE _Frontispiece_
PAGE
FOURTH OF JULY IN CENTER SQUARE, PHILADELPHIA 28
JOHN MARSHALL, CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE UNITED STATES, 1808-1835, PHILADELPHIA 32
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, PHILADELPHIA 34
CAPTAIN NICHOLAS BIDDLE, PHILADELPHIA 52
A QUIET HOUR, PHILADELPHIA 58
THE TRAGIC MUSE, PHILADELPHIA 66
BISHOP WILLIAM WHITE, PHILADELPHIA 86
THE DUCK GIRL, PHILADELPHIA 112
GEORGE WASHINGTON, PHILADELPHIA 116
BRONZE TABLET IN BOULDER, CHESTER COUNTY 176
BAYARD TAYLOR MONUMENT, LONGWOOD, CHESTER COUNTY 180
MAIN BUILDING, FRANKLIN AND MARSHALL COLLEGE, LANCASTER, LANCASTER COUNTY 186
CAVALRY STATUE, ERECTED IN 1904, CENTER SQUARE, HANOVER, YORK COUNTY 198
DICKINSON COLLEGE, “OLD WEST,” CARLISLE, CUMBERLAND COUNTY 204
THE JAIL, AT READING, BERKS COUNTY 216
TRINITY CHURCH, READING, BUILT IN 1791, BERKS COUNTY 220
THE VICTOR, FRANKLIN COUNTY 250
PERKIOMEN BRIDGE, BUILT IN 1798, COLLEGEVILLE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY 256
THE JOY AND BURDEN OF LIFE, DAUPHIN COUNTY 274
GALLERY OF THE SCULPTURE HALL, CARNEGIE INSTITUTE, PITTSBURGH, ALLEGHENY COUNTY 292
THE CROWNING OF LABOR, ALLEGHENY COUNTY 296
THE BLOCK HOUSE, PITTSBURGH, ALLEGHENY COUNTY 298
OLD STONE ARCH ON JACK’S CREEK, MIFFLIN COUNTY 304
ALFRED O. DESHING MEMORIAL ART GALLERY, CHESTER, DELAWARE COUNTY 310
LYCOMING CREEK NEAR WILLIAMSPORT, LYCOMING COUNTY 320
STEPPING STONES, KIMBERLY RIVER, SOMERSET COUNTY 324
RIVERSIDE PARK, IRVING CLIFF, HONESDALE, WAYNE COUNTY 334
OLD PITTSBURGH AND PHILADELPHIA PIKE, ADAMS COUNTY 338
COURT HOUSE AND GOVERNOR CURTIN MEMORIAL, BELLEFONTE, CENTER COUNTY 344
DRAKE MONUMENT WITH STATUE OF THE DRILLER, TITUSVILLE, CRAWFORD COUNTY 354
WASHINGTON STATUE, ERIE COUNTY 358
IRON FURNACE, OIL CITY AND VICINITY, VENANGO COUNTY 366
VINEYARD HILL, BUTLER COUNTY 374
MURAL PAINTING IN THE DOME OF MERCER COUNTY COURT HOUSE, MERCER COUNTY 376
THE DEVIL’S ELBOW, EAST OF INDIANA, INDIANA COUNTY 382
MONUMENT TO THE UNKNOWN DEAD OF THE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD, CAMBRIA COUNTY 386
THE GAP BELOW JOHNSTOWN, CAMBRIA COUNTY 388
ANTIQUE CAPITAL, CHESTER PLACE, WELLSBORO, TIOGA COUNTY 396
KINZUA BRIDGE, MCKEAN COUNTY 400
ON THE SINNEMAHONING CREEK, POTTER COUNTY 404
DEFENSE OF THE FLAG, BRADFORD COUNTY 416
HENRY CLAY IRON MONUMENT, POTTSVILLE, SCHUYLKILL COUNTY 422
ZION REFORMED CHURCH, ALLENTOWN, SCHUYLKILL COUNTY 426
THE OLDEST CANAL TUNNEL IN THE UNITED STATES, LEBANON COUNTY 430
SAWKILL FALLS, MILFORD, PIKE COUNTY 442
THE SUSQUEHANNA TRAIL, CLINTON COUNTY 456
ST. MARK’S PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH, MAUCH CHUNK, CARBON COUNTY 466
MAPS
PAGE
PHILADELPHIA COUNTY 25
COLONIAL WALKS NO. 1 27
COLONIAL WALKS NO. 2 36
GERMANTOWN 146
BUCKS COUNTY 162
CHESTER COUNTY 174
LANCASTER COUNTY 184
YORK COUNTY 192
CUMBERLAND COUNTY 200
NORTHAMPTON COUNTY 208
BERKS COUNTY 214
BEDFORD COUNTY 222
NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY 226
WESTMORELAND COUNTY 232
WASHINGTON COUNTY 236
FAYETTE COUNTY 242
FRANKLIN COUNTY 246
MONTGOMERY COUNTY 254
DAUPHIN COUNTY 272
LUZERNE COUNTY 278
HUNTINGDON COUNTY 284
ALLEGHENY COUNTY 290
MIFFLIN COUNTY 302
DELAWARE COUNTY 306
LYCOMING COUNTY 318
SOMERSET COUNTY 322
GREENE COUNTY 328
WAYNE COUNTY 332
ADAMS COUNTY 336
CENTER COUNTY 342
BEAVER COUNTY 346
CRAWFORD COUNTY 350
ERIE COUNTY 356
VENANGO COUNTY 364
WARREN COUNTY 368
BUTLER COUNTY 370
MERCER COUNTY 376
ARMSTRONG COUNTY 378
INDIANA COUNTY 382
CAMBRIA COUNTY 386
CLEARFIELD COUNTY 390
TIOGA COUNTY 394
MCKEAN COUNTY 400
POTTER COUNTY 402
JEFFERSON COUNTY 406
SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY 410
BRADFORD COUNTY 412
SCHUYLKILL COUNTY 418
LEHIGH COUNTY 424
LEBANON COUNTY 430
UNION COUNTY 434
COLUMBIA COUNTY 436
PIKE COUNTY 440
PERRY COUNTY 444
JUNIATA COUNTY 446
MONROE COUNTY 448
CLARION COUNTY 452
CLINTON COUNTY 456
WYOMING COUNTY 460
CARBON COUNTY 464
ELK COUNTY 468
BLAIR COUNTY 472
SULLIVAN COUNTY 478
FOREST COUNTY 480
LAWRENCE COUNTY 484
FULTON COUNTY 490
MONTOUR COUNTY 492
SNYDER COUNTY 496
CAMERON COUNTY 500
LACKAWANNA COUNTY 504
PHILADELPHIA HISTORIC FIRSTS
The first parks in North America provided for the pleasure of the people were dedicated by William Penn at the settlement of Philadelphia in 1682. They were the North Eastern, South Eastern, North Western, South Western, and Centre Squares, now known respectively as Franklin, Washington, Logan, Rittenhouse, and Penn Squares.
In a letter dated 1683, William Penn alludes to the glass-house of the Free Society of Traders. Soon after this a glass-house was erected at Frankford by English Friends.
The first almanac printed in America was “Kalendarium Pennsilvaniense, or, America’s Messinger. Being an Almanack for the Year of Grace, 1686.” It was edited by Samuel Atkins, and published by William Bradford, 1685.
The first paper mill in America was built by William Rittenhouse, on the banks of the Wissahickon Creek, in the year 1690.
“A new Primmer or Methodical Direction to attain the True Spelling, Reading and Writing of English.” This was the first American school textbook; though it was published in New York in 1698, its author was Francis Daniel Pastorius, founder of Germantown.
The first presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in the United States was formed in Philadelphia in 1705. It was composed of seven ministers, and included Philadelphia, Maryland, Delaware, and the Eastern shore of Virginia.
The first botanical garden in America was started in 1705 by Dr. Christopher Witt, at the southeast corner of Germantown Avenue and High Street. John Bartram began his famous gardens in 1728 at Gray’s Ferry on the Schuylkill River.
The first Mennonite Church in America was erected in Germantown, at Germantown Avenue and Herman Street, the first service being held therein, May 23, 1708.
The first institution in America for the care of the poor was the Friends’ Almshouse, established in Philadelphia in 1713.
First municipal care of the poor in the United States was begun by the City of Philadelphia in a rented building September 1, 1713; the first building was erected in 1731.
The first Dunkard (Tunker) Church in America was formed in Germantown, December 25, 1723, at Germantown Avenue and Upsal Street. The first love-feast celebrated in this country was observed by them the same evening.
The first association for the benefit of workers (or labor organization) in America was the “Carpenters’ Company,” established in Philadelphia, in 1724.
The first mariner’s quadrant, invented by Thomas Godfrey, a glazier, of Nineteenth Street and Church Lane, Germantown, was made in 1730. First used in Delaware Bay by Joshua Fisher.
In 1727 a literary society was formed here by Franklin and eleven associates. This was the famous “Junto,” and from it originated the Library Company of Philadelphia, the first library of a public nature in America. The instrument of association was dated July 1, 1731, and the charter granted by the proprietary May 3, 1742.
The first club in America organized as a dining and fishing club was the “Colony in Schuylkill,” 1732. The name was afterwards changed to the “State in Schuylkill.”
The first German newspaper in America was _Die Philadelphische Zeitung_, published by Benjamin Franklin, May 6, 1732. There were but two numbers issued.
The first type made in America was made by Christopher Saur, the Germantown printer, in 1735.
The first volunteer fire company in America, “The Union Fire Company,” was founded by Franklin and four associates, December 7, 1736. It lasted for eighty-four years.