Salt Spring State Park Wins EMHR Grant
MONTROSE - Salt Spring State Park in Franklin Township captured a $4,000.00
Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR) grant this fall. The funding will be
used to drill a well and provide facilities for drinking water in the campsite
and pavilion areas of the park.
The park is managed and operated by Friends of
Salt Spring Inc., a non-profit group cited in 2001 as Volunteer Group of the
Year by the Bureau of State Parks, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
(DCNR).
During the past four years the group constructed
12 campsites for family camping, built a pavilion used for family reunions,
weddings and other gatherings, and installed composting toilets in the park.
Currently park visitors to the camping and picnicking
areas must walk quite a distance to the restored mid-nineteenth century Wheaton
House to obtain water. Friends of Salt Spring believe having water readily available
closer to these areas will increase the number of visitors attracted to the
park, resulting in increased income from modest fees.
EMHR is strongly invested in regional community
goals and maintaining a high quality of life in Bradford, Sullivan, Wyoming
and Susquehanna Counties through promoting historic preservation and development,
tourism, recreation, economic development, cultural development, agriculture,
community planning and implementation.
EMHR, currently in its second membership campaign,
has been instrumental in funding large and small projects throughout the Endless
Mountains Region since 1998. Individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations
and industries can support this important regional effort through memberships.
The Salt Spring park water project is typical
of those funded by EMHR, matching criteria outlined in its Management Action
Plan. This modest project will go a long way toward building community capacity,
expanding recreational opportunities for regional residents and visitors alike.
Salt Spring Park is located about six miles north
of Montrose, one mile off Route 29. The park encompasses 405 acres belonging
to the Commonwealth and 300 additional acres purchased by Friends of Salt Spring
with grant support from DCNR.
Friends of Salt Spring plan to capitalize on the historic and educational potential
of the park, which includes the Wheaton farm and homestead. Two foundations
of older homesteads on the property have been restored, orchards and hardwood
trees planted nearby as a visitor attraction. Future plans may encompass a geologic
study of the gorge, methane well, salt spring and environment.
Membership applications and more information is
available by contacting Endless Mountains Heritage Region via email at emhr@epix.net;
or calling 570-265-1528. Endless Mountains Heritage Region can be explored on
the web at www.emhr.org
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Endless
Mountains Heritage Region Captures $318,000 for Four Counties
TOWANDA - Gov. Mark Schweiker recently announced Endless Mountains Heritage
Region would receive $318,000 in funding from the Pennsylvania Heritage Parks
Program.
Earmarked for organizational management and administrative
support for Endless Mountains Heritage Region is $100,000 of that total. The
remaining $218,000 will fund individual projects in each of the four counties
comprising the Endless Mountains Heritage Region: Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna
and Wyoming.
During the previous four granting cycles Endless
Mountains Heritage Region funneled nearly two million dollars into the region.
The heritage park is organized around an agricultural theme, attracting visitors
interested in Native American culture, early settlers, agricultural themes and
rural activities.
Endless Mountains Heritage Region strives to fund
projects that build regional partnerships conserving and promoting cultural,
natural, recreational and scenic resources unique to the region.
Regional projects awarded funding within the Endless
Mountains Heritage Region reflect agricultural legacy and visitor interest.
Awards and projects selected for the organization's fifth grant round were:
* $10,000
for rehabilitation of Endless Mountains Council on the Arts headquarters in
Tunkhannock, Wyoming County. This project includes replacing deteriorating wooden
siding with materials duplicating those used in original construction.
* $15,000
toward restoration of LeRoy Heritage Museum in LeRoy Township, Bradford County,
making it a safe and accessible public facility.
* $10,000
toward restoration of Laporte Community Hall in Laporte Borough, Sullivan County.
The first phase of this project will be to replace the roof.
* $85,000
toward rehabilitating the former Lehigh Valley Railroad Depot at Noxen, in Noxen
Township, Wyoming County.
* $10,000
for creation of painted murals on the visible outside walls of the Dietrich
Theater in Tunkhannock Borough, Wyoming County. Planned are murals depicting
Tunkhannock as it was in 1936 when the theater was built.
* $2,500
for assistance in conducting textile workshops at the Home Textile Tool Museum
in Orwell, Bradford County.
* $8,000
for development and presentation of "Changing Agricultural Landscapes,"
an agricultural conference in Troy, Bradford County.
* $7,500
for a combination heating/cooling system for the War Memorial Museum in Sonestown,
Sullivan County.
* $4,000
to provide a potable water source for Salt Spring State Park in Franklin Township,
Susquehanna County.
* $12,000
to establish a local retail outlet and Internet marketplace for the Heritage
Market -- The Country Store in Montrose Borough, Susquehanna County.
* $15,000
to develop a strategic plan for the Wyalusing Valley Museum Association of Wyalusing
Township, Bradford County. This plan will provide guidance as the museum moves
into a new facility, from cataloguing materials to creating new displays.
* $15,000
to develop a strategic plan for French Azylum Inc., Asylum Township, Bradford
County.
* $9,000
for a planning study investigating how to accomplish providing handicapped access
to Fall Brook Gorge in Franklin Township, Susquehanna County.
* $15,000
to develop a management and infrastructure plans for Eastern Delaware Nation
at Wyalusing Rocks in Wyalusing Township, Bradford County.
Gov. Schweiker maintains Pennsylvania's legacy
of big steel, railroads, canals, forests, farms and greenways come alive in
the state's heritage regions, providing visitors the connections with the past
they crave, an important consideration as Pennsylvania is the fifth most visited
state in the United States.
Tourism is the state's second largest industry
and accounts for 4.5 percent of all leisure travel in the United States. Business
and leisure travelers' spending in Pennsylvania's totaled $34.1 billion for
the year 2000, a 7.1 percent increase over 1999.
Heritage tourism, encouraged by State Heritage Parks such as the Endless Mountains
Heritage Region, is one of the fastest-growing segments of the tourism industry.
Heritage visitors stay longer than other leisure tourists, bring their families
more often, and travel in larger groups all of which has a greater positive
economic impact on the areas they visit.
The State Heritage Park Program began in 1989
enhancing tourism opportunities and promoting economic development in Pennsylvania
communities. Since then, the program, administered by the Department of Conservation
and Natural Resources (DCNR), has awarded more than $34 million to 11 participating
regions such as Endless Mountains Heritage Region.
Gov. Schweiker said, "To our communities, heritage development also means
more jobs, new businesses and an increased quality of life. That means a stronger
bottom line for those communities."
More information is available by contacting Endless
Mountains Heritage Region via email at emhr@epix.net; or calling 570-265-1528.
Endless Mountains Heritage Region can be explored on the web at www.emhr.org.
For more information on Pennsylvania's Heritage Parks Program log onto PA PowerPort
at www.state.pa.us, PA Keyword "heritage parks."
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Fundraising
Underway to Restore Landmark Civil War Monument by
Elizabeth Janoski
MONTROSE - The silent soldier stands at attention on the Green, facing the
Susquehanna County Court House, a witness to the gallant struggle of county citizens
during the American Civil War. Stone tablets surround him, inscribed
with the names of those county residents who gave their lives to ensure the preservation
of the Union.
The Susquehanna County Civil War Monument
was completed in 1877. County resident and veteran of the Civil War, Captain
J.R. Lyons designed the monument. His heartfelt wish then was that the monument
would stand for as a memorial for all of Susquehanna County and as a point of
special pride for those who had lost relatives in the conflict. An architect
in civilian life, Lyons himself had served gallantly in the war and had been wounded
three times. The Susquehanna County monument he designed is thought to be
one of the first erected following the Civil War.
Today, the monument is deteriorating
and in need of repairs to preserve it for future generations. “It is most
appropriate that fund raising effort for these repairs begin on July 4 as construction
on the monument began on July 4, 1876,” says project coordinator Ellen O’Malley,
adding, “Like the citizens of Susquehanna County in 1876, we begin this
project in need of funds to complete the restoration and ask for your support.
At the time the monument was erected, Susquehanna County Citizens were asked to
contribute one dollar to the cost of its completion. Today, we are asking
those attending the 4th of July festivities on the Green to put $1.00 in the donation
boxes that will be placed at the four corners of the monument on that day.”
O’Malley thanked Susquehanna County
Commissioners Gary Marcho, Lee Smith and Cal Dean for their support of the project,
adding that Shari Whitney, Susquehanna County Historical Records Clerk/Archives
Manager obtained grant funding to first assess the condition of the statue and
then to restore the monument. An assessment of the statue has been completed
and the project was recently awarded a matching grant from the Endless Mountains
Heritage Region to assist in making the necessary repairs.
Members of the Civil War Monument Restoration
Committee are Commissioner Lee Smith, Ellen O’Malley, Ron Albert, Elizabeth Janoski
and George Starzec. Donations may also be sent to the County Monument Restoration
Fund, c/o Susquehanna County Commissioners, P.O. Box 218, Montrose, PA 18801.
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EMHR Director Presents at Historic Preservation
Seminar
MONTROSE – Robert Veleker, executive director of Endless Mountains
Heritage Region (EMHR), presented information about Pennsylvania Heritage Parks
at a recent Historic Preservation Seminar held at Montrose Bible Conference.
Veleker explained how the state Heritage Park Program positively impacts the
Endless Mountains through EMHR. Veleker gave specifics on how non-profits and
municipalities can participate in EMHR funding, seminars, information and networking.
EMHR has been a State Heritage Park organized around
an agricultural theme since 1998. The park encompasses Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna
and Wyoming Counties. EMHR has funded 35 projects throughout the Endless Mountains
since it was founded.
This year 20 regional non-profit organizations
or municipalities have applied for grants, which will be announced by the Department
of Conservation and Natural Resources, which oversees the state Heritage Park
Program, later this summer. A wide range of projects is under consideration,
from historic preservation efforts and improving museum exhibits to feasibility
studies, and improving organizational development.
EMHR strives to enhance visitor experiences in the
region, maintain the high-quality rural lifestyle of residents, and nurture
projects which will have a positive economic impact regionally.
The workshop, opened by Pennsylvania Representative
Sandra Major of the 111th District, included a presentation by Michel R. Lefevre,
chief of Preservation Planning and Education for Pennsylvania Museum Commission
(PHMC), on the cultural and economic benefits of establishing a historic preservation
approach to community planning.
Bryan VanSweden, grant manager of PHMC’s Keystone Historic
Preservation Grant Program, provided an overview of the grants and tax incentives
available for rehabilitating historic properties.
Patrick Foltz, executive director of Preservation Pennsylvania,
spoke on his organization’s efforts to preserve threatened historic resources.
County Commissioners of Bradford, Sullivan, Tioga and
Wyoming Counties, Montrose Borough and Susquehanna County Historical Society
hosted the workshop in cooperation with Northern Tier Regional Planning and
Development Commission.
Information on a variety of grants, loans and tax incentives
for buildings and districts eligible for the National Historic Register was
presented at the workshop and is available by contacting EMHR via email at emhr@epix.net,
or at 570-265-1528. Endless Mountains Heritage Region can be explored on the
web at www.emhr.org.
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Endless Mountains Heritage Region
Makes Positive Contributions
TOWANDA - Over a decade ago groups of people in Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna
and Wyoming Counties began holding meetings focused on creating a new State
Heritage Park. The people of the Endless Mountains Region share a common
heritage and have made a unique contribution to the state's culture and history.
The Endless Mountains Region
was identified and recognized by the state as an area with a distinct rural,
agrarian character, but the heritage park concept was a new dream. It took several
years of regional community cooperation to develop a Management Action Plan
and ask for approval as a Heritage Park from the state.
Today the dream is a functional
reality. Endless Mountains Heritage Region, organized around the theme of agricultural
heritage in 1998, has provided funds totaling over a million dollars during
four grant cycles for 30 regional organizations.
The organization strives to
maintain and enhance the unique rural character and culture of its region located
south of New York State, west of the Poconos. It promotes historic preservation
and development, tourism, recreation, economic development, cultural development,
agriculture, community planning and implementation.
Top priorities for projects
are those which will foster tourism and recreation such as helping organizations
in the region aquire or restore historic buildings or sites; projects which
tell the story of the region’s past through exhibits and programs; and projects
which foster economic development through supporting agricultural preservation
and development efforts, and encouraging local businesses to participate in
and support heritage related activities in the region.
Last year, during the fourth
annual granting cycle, 14 regional projects totaling $224,000 were funded. This
year 20 regional organizations submitted grant proposals for the fifth granting
cycle. Projects approved at the state level for this grant round will be announced
later this year.
Endless Mountains Heritage
Region also implements projects of its own, increasing the total regional economic
impact since the Heritage Park was formed to approximately two million dollars
according to Executive Director Robert Veleker. An Interpretation and Education
project to develop strategies to involving local residents in understanding
and interpreting their heritage is underway. The project will also improve presentation
of the region’s heritage for residents and visitors.
The influx of money funneled
into the region through Endless Mountains Heritage Region to local groups and
organizations translates into improved services and recreational opportunities
to communities. Improved services, preservation and promotion of historic buildings
and sites will boost the region’s economy even more as increasing numbers of
visitors are attracted from outside the region.
Currently tourism is Pennsylvania’s
second largest industry. A significant portion of money spent by visitors is
geared toward visiting heritage sites, or exploring a heritage interest or theme.
Heritage Parks like Endless Mountains Heritage Region help communities capitalize
on heritage resources, improving quality of life for residents and generating
visitor interest.
Heritage tourism development
brings new economic opportunities and jobs as buildings and important historic
sites are inventoried, studied and preserved, festivals and new attractions
developed, boosting local pride. Endless Mountains Heritage Region, once a dream
without clear definition, is growing into an important player in building sustainable
community strength in its four cachment counties.
Grants awarded in the first
four rounds ranged from two thousand dollars used to train volunteers for the
Home Textile Tool Museum in Orwell, to $60,000 toward reuse of the vacant dilapidated
Old Bradford County Jail into a state of the art museum and genealogical research
library. Some organizations ask for help funding projects which do not
meet Endless Mountains Heritage Region criteria, but every attempt is made to
steer those organizations toward other funding sources which better match their
needs.
State Heritage Parks receive
a portion of their operating expenses from the Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources (DCNR) for the first ten years, after which they are expected
to become self sufficient through fund raising activities and memberships. Endless
Mountains Heritage Region, now in it’s fifth year, is currently conducting its
first membership drive. Memberships are offered to individuals, businesses,
non-profit organizations and industry.
Endless Mountains Heritage
Region maintains an office, staffed by Pam Wright and Ann Leone, at 10 Park
Street, Towanda. Board members are drawn from all four counties and represent
heritage organizations, local government, tourism, business and industry, and
other groups.
Endless Mountains Heritage
Region can be explored on the web at www.emhr.org; reached via email at emhr@epix.net;
or at 570-265-1528.
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Historic Societies in Four Counties Join
Endless Mountains Heritage Region
TOWANDA - Historic Societies in all four counties encompassed
by the Endless Mountains Heritage Region, Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna and
Wyoming Counties, recently became members of the Heritage Park. This strong
show of support is good news because Endless Mountains Heritage Region, approved
by the state as a Heritage Park in 1998, is now in the midst of its first membership
campaign.
State Heritage Parks receive
a portion of their operating expenses from the Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources (DCNR) for the first ten years. After the first decade Heritage
Parks are expected to become self sufficient through fund raising activities
and memberships.
Endless Mountains Heritage
Region, now in it’s fifth year, is currently offering memberships to individuals,
businesses, non-profit organizations and industry. Endless Mountains Heritage
Region strives to maintain and enhance the unique rural character and culture
of the region through promoting historic preservation and development, tourism,
recreation, economic development, cultural development, agriculture, community
planning and implementation.
Organized around an agricultural
heritage theme, Endless Mountains Heritage Region funneled over a million dollars
into the four county region during its first four grant cycles. Regional art
and cultural organizations, historic societies, museums and other 501c3 organizations
have benefited as project partners.
Projects already complete or
underway include training volunteer museum guides, creating a series of labyrinth
gardens, preserving and designing displays for museum collections, and renovating
historic buildings. Projects which highlight a piece of the region’s history
and have a positive impact on the regional economy are high priorities.
Last year 14 regional projects
totaling $224,000 were funded. This year 20 regional organizations have submitted
grant proposals. Projects approved at the state level for this grant round will
be announced later this year. Endless Mountains Heritage Region implements projects
of its own, increasing the total regional economic impact since the Heritage
Park 1998 to approximately two million dollars, translated into improved services
and recreational opportunities.
Currently tourism is Pennsylvania’s
second largest industry. A significant portion of money spent by visitors is
geared toward visiting heritage sites, exploring a heritage interest or theme.
Heritage Parks like Endless Mountains Heritage Region help communities capitalize
on heritage resources, improving quality of life for residents and generating
visitor interest.
Providing attractive destinations
for visitors and residents to learn more about the region’s heritage is a vitally
important goal, which will have increasingly positive economic benefits as Endless
Mountains Heritage Region matures.
Annual memberships are now
available for individuals, families, non-profit organizations and businesses.
Funds are used to support programs and activities and will help Endless Mountains
Heritage Region become self-suffcient. Membership applications can be
obtained by writing Endless Mountains Heritage Region, 10 Park Street, Towanda,
18848; emailing emhr@epix.net; or calling 570-265-1528.
Endless Mountains Heritage
Region can be explored on the web at www.emhr.org.
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Affinity Group Formed
To Work With EMHR
TOWANDA - Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR), a state heritage
park organized around an agricultural theme, encompassing Bradford, Sullivan,
Susquehanna and Wyoming counties, recently formed an Interpretation and Education
Affinity Group to complement EMHR activities and projects.
Since its formation five years
ago, Endless Mountains Heritage Region has funded 35 projects from implementation
grants for things like renovating historic buildings and improving museum exhibits
to feasibility studies to improve organizational development or identify, plan
and prioritize future projects.
The affinity group focused
on a wide variety of topics during a recent meeting held at the Bradford County
Historical Society. The importance of bringing bus tours into the region was
discussed.
Topics of interest to organizations
throughout the region were discussed, such as paperwork necessary to become
a 501c3 organization, grant funding opportunities, and availability of assistance
with specific problems through Pennsylvania Historic Museum Commission.
EMHR projects discussed included
Old Mill Village, Home Textile Tool Museum, Keystone College, Bradford County
Regional Arts Council, Rekindle the Spirit, French Azilum, Dietrich Theater,
P.P. Bliss Gospel Writers Museum, Montrose Country Store and North Branch Arts
Festival.
Endless Mountains Heritage
Region can be explored on the web at www.emhr.org; reached via email at emhr@epix.net;
or at 570-265-1528.
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Dietrich Theater Shines As Centerpiece
of Downtown Revitalization
TUNKHANNOCK – A project started four years ago to refurbish a dilapidated theater
received funding twice from Endless Mountains Heritage Region and has changed
things dramatically in this rural County Seat.
The ribbon cutting a year ago
for Dietrich Theater attracted local, state and federal dignitaries including
USDA Representative Shirley Beury, Carol Sherwood, wife of Congressman Don Sherwood,
and Michael Illuzzi, executive director of Scranton’s Everhart Museum to Wyoming
County.
Since then, the theater has been
presenting first and second run movies in two theaters and live performances
onstage. Special events and showings attract people from outside the county,
while weeknights offer an entertainment boon for those living in town.
People living nearby walk to the
theater and buy tickets before they ask what’s playing, said Hildy Morgan, executive
director of the Wyoming County Cultural Center, the non-profit organization
responsible for the theater renovation project. Some of these people haven’t
been regular moviegoers in 20 years, she added. “Town is exciting again,” Morgan
said.
Morgan said little shops are popping
up all over town filling once vacant storefronts, in response to increased visitor
and resident traffic downtown. “We set out four years ago expecting to be successful,
but never in our wildest dreams did we suspect we would be this successful.”
The theater recently offered a midnight
first-run showing of Star Wars. It sold out. Other recent first run movies included
Spider Man and Scooby Doo.
“We believed we could change a blighted
area and generate jobs,” Morgan said. Today eight adults and nine students have
part-time jobs connected with theater operation. Morgan is currently the only
full-time staff person, but she expects that to change in the near future. “Our
goal is to provide a premiere place to work with benefits,” she said. A soda
shop located in the theater building is frequently “mobbed” by theatergoers.
“The support has been marvelous,”
Morgan said.
She credits much of the project’s
success to EMHR grants and staff. The first grant for $10,000 was awarded in
1998. The Cultural Center had originally applied for a feasibility study, but
by the time the award was made that piece of the project was already completed.
“They were wonderful
with us,” Morgan said about EMHR. The organization was allowed to apply the
grant award to pay architect fees, moving the renovation project along.
A second grant of $18,000, awarded
in 1999, made possible renovation of the theater’s façade. “It made all
the difference,” Morgan said. Admittedly prejudiced, she still maintains the
theater is “The most beautiful building in town.”
It is certainly the centerpiece of
downtown revitalization for the community. Opening of the recently completed
Route 6 by-pass diverted trucks and through traffic away from downtown, facilitating
parking and access to stores. The entire ‘feel’ of the town has changed, echoing
the more laid-back era reflected in its architecture.
Morgan praised the accessibility
and support of EMHR staff, who made the granting process much smoother than
what she has experienced elsewhere.
“Especially today, when there are
so many nonprofits all seeking money from the same sources, it’s very competitive,”
she said. She is a veteran of numerous phone calls to funding agencies where
each time she reaches a different person and is required to retell and re-sell
her project.
“It’s so frustrating,” she said of
those experiences. “The Heritage Region staff makes all the difference, and
the program is flexible. You’re dealing with the same people, who know what
your project is without explaining, that can be such a waste of time. Grants
can be stressful, it’s nice to have people who know what you’re doing.”
The Dietrich Theater was recently honored by the local Nature Conservancy for
its part in downtown revitalization. Morgan said the theater has been
referred to as the ‘Premiere Art Theater’ of Pennsylvania, attracting audiences
from surrounding counties.
“But the heart and soul of the theater
is Wyoming County,” Morgan said.
Summer programs are planned
in conjunction with the Everhart Museum featuring dinosaurs, ancient Egypt,
and Astronomy. As a gift back to the community 30 tickets for each of
these shows have been donated to Wyoming County Children and Youth for their
clients.
The Dietrich Theater project is one
of several being wholly or partially funded throughout the Endless Mountains
Region by EMHR. One of 11 Heritage Parks in the state, EMHR was organized around
the theme of agricultural heritage in 1998. To date, EMHR has provided over
a million dollars during four grant cycles to 30 regional organizations.
EMHR strives to maintain and
enhance the unique rural character and culture of the Endless Mountains, which
includes Wyoming, Bradford, Susquehanna, and Sullivan Counties.
The Heritage Park Program, funded
by DCNR, promotes historic preservation and development, tourism, recreation,
economic development, cultural development, agriculture, community planning
and implementation.
Last year, during its fourth
annual granting cycle, EMHR made grant awards to 14 regional projects totaling
$224,000. This year 20 regional organizations submitted grant proposals for
the fifth granting cycle. Projects approved at the state level for this grant
round will be announced later this year.
Endless Mountains Heritage
Region also implements projects of its own, increasing the total regional economic
impact since the Heritage Park was formed to approximately two million dollars
according to Executive Director Robert Veleker.
Endless Mountains Heritage
Region maintains an office at 10 Park Street, Towanda and can be explored on
the web at www.emhr.org; reached via email at emhr@epix.net; or at 570-265-1528.
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Center for Anti Slavery Study Thrives
With EMHR Help
MONTROSE - The Center for Anti Slavery Study (C.A.S.S.), a non-profit
organization formed in 1996 by a local group to preserve, interpret and present
Susquehanna County’s rich history of abolition activities is thriving in part
due to a strong relationship with Endless Mountains Heritage Region.
The resistance to slavery in
Susquehanna County resulted in many escaped slaves settling here and in the
surrounding region rather than continuing on to Canada. The African-American
population in Susquehanna County grew from nine to 247 in the century between
1800 and 1900 through support of local Abolitionists.
In 1998 C.A.S.S. was
awarded an Endless Mountains Heritage Region grant of $25,000 to develop long
range plans related to discovering, collecting and preserving history relating
to the Abolition Movement and Underground Railroad in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
This year C.A.S.S. has applied for funding for renovations to its headquarters
in the 1816 Silver Lake Bank, the oldest building in Montrose.
In 1840 the bank building belonged
to Abolitionist Francis Blake Chandler. Local oral traditions indicate between
1840-65 the building served as a stop on the Underground Railroad. The building
fits Endless Mountains Heritage Region criteria of a historic site worthy of
preservation and capable of generating regional and national heritage visitor
interest.
Endless Mountains Heritage
Region became a state heritage park organized around the theme of agricultural
heritage in 1998 and has provided funds totaling over a million dollars for
30 regional organizations like C.A.S.S. since then.
Endless Mountains Heritage
Region strives to maintain and enhance the unique rural character and culture
of four counties, Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna and Wyoming by promoting historic
preservation and development, tourism, recreation, economic development, cultural
development, agriculture, community planning and implementation.
Members of C.A.S.S.
are helping accomplish those goals. Inventorying or acquiring local historic
sites connected with Abolitionist history will help C.A.S.S. interpret and present
this portion of regional history. The buildings and C.A.S.S. services will enhance
the local community becoming a magnet site for visitors.
The Silver Lake Bank Building
is currently used to host a variety of events such as community and regional
meetings, and fundraising events such as luncheons, teas, and receptions. Continuing
education classes, exhibitions, displays, shows, performances and multicultural
studies are planned.
Already C.A.S.S. has been instrumental
in gaining recognition for the achievements of the Honorable Jonathan Jasper
Wright, the first Black admitted to the bar in Pennsylvania. Judge Wright’s
birthday has been celebrated with special ceremonies at the Susquehanna County
Courthouse for several years, educating the public about this notable native
son. A historic marker was dedicated in Springville in September 2001 in honor
of Judge Wright.
A publication explaining the
Underground Quilt Code, notes from “Hidden in Plain View” by Jacqueline L. Tobin
and Raymond G. Dobard, was compiled in 1999 by Cynthia G. Applegate for C.A.S.S.
The pamphlet explains how messages about escape routes and plans were encoded
in quilts. A pattern called Monkey Wrench referred to starting preparations
for escape. Wagon Wheel pattern indicated it was time to pack, Shoofly pattern
referred to a person who helped slaves escape, Flying Geese the best time to
flee, and a pattern called Bear Paw probably advised following game trails.
Projects like those undertaken
by C.A.S.S. enhance the quality of life in the Endless Mountains Heritage Region.
Last year during the organization’s fourth granting cycle, 14 projects totaling
$224,000 were funded. This year 20 regional organizations have submitted grant
proposals. Those selected at the state level will be announced later this year.
Including projects undertaken
by Endless Mountains Heritage Region itself, the total regional economic impact
since 1998 is approximately two million dollars, according to Executive Director
Robert Veleker.
State Heritage Parks receive
some operating expenses from DCNR for the first ten years, after which they
are expected to become self sufficient through fund raising activities and memberships.
Endless Mountains Heritage Region, now in its fifth year, is conducting its
first membership drive. Memberships are offered to individuals, businesses,
non-profit organizations and industry.
Endless Mountains Heritage
Region maintains an office at10 Park Street, Towanda. Board members are drawn
from all four counties and represent heritage organizations, local government,
tourism, agriculture, business and industry, and other groups.
Endless Mountains Heritage
Region can be explored on the web at www.emhr.org; reached via email at emhr@epix.net;
or at 570-265-1528. The Center for Anti Slavery Studies can be reached via email
at C.A.S.S.@emcs.net or by calling 570-278-6837.
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Museums Plan Complementary Exhibits on
George Catlin
ATHENS - Tioga Point Museum, located in the upper floor of Spalding Memorial
Library, has received Endless Mountains Heritage Region funding two different
times for projects relating to its extensive collection of American Indian
artifacts.
“Our collection doesn’t just
concentrate on local artifacts,” explained Director Shannon Schmieg. “People
who come here have a chance to see objects not usually seen at a small local
museum.”
The museum, caretaker of the
largest and most comprehensive collection of American Indian archeological
objects in the Endless Mountains Region, received $6,000 for a special
purpose study from Endless Mountains Heritage Region in 2000 .
That first project included
an inventory of objects collected locally and planning for new exhibits. Jan
Schulenberg, an archeologist from Penn State University reviewed the collection
and excavation records. The collection is so large it was divided into three
sections to better tell the story of Native American history in the region.
The permanent exhibit was unveiled
on September 23, 2000 as part of a History Day celebration sponsored by the
Museum and the Library. It occupies a considerable portion of the main exhibit
room, which was redesigned by former Curator Bonnie Stacy to more closely match
how it looked when the museum first moved into the building in 1898. The
room is open and spacious, unlike its overly cluttered presentation from the
1960's through early 1990's, Schmieg said. The space now accommodates
wheelchairs, walkers and/or baby strollers.
Some exhibits had remained
basically the same since the 1920’s, others were altered in the 1950’s, but
the layout of the museum dated back to its origin in 1895. The challenge is
to design new exhibits which retain the museum’s look and feel of stepping
in time, presenting materials without the glitz and glitter of technology and
backlighting, while meeting visitor interest which has changed from a desire
to view collections of objects to interest in the heritage and culture those
objects represent.
This, coupled with a need to
comply with recent laws requiring museums to repatriate to American Indians
sacred objects or those collected from grave sites, prompted Tioga Point’s effort
to catalog the collection, identify what objects are, and determine tribal affiliation.
The facility caretakes a large collection of non-local American Indian
artifacts, much of which was in storage due to limited exhibit space.
In a cooperative effort with
Susquehanna Historical Society in Montrose, Tioga Point Museum was awarded $16,000
during the third round of Endless Mountains Heritage Region grants in 2001 toward
developing exhibits at both museums which will make the best use of some of
those artifacts.
Complementary exhibits at both
facilities called “George Catlin: From the Endless Mountains to the Wide
West”, will focus on the life and work of the 19th century painter/writer who
documented the vanishing lifestyle and culture of American Indians in the west.
“I’m really excited about it,”
Schmieg said. “This will be truly a unique exhibit. The two museums together
will have complementary exhibits going. Susquehanna will feature Catlin’s early
years, his life in the region.”
Tioga Point will exhibit some
of Catlin’s original artwork, and showcase his travels.
“This is an exhibit of local
interest with a national focus,” Schmieg said. The problem has been finding
an archeologist and an anthropologist to work with the collection who are familiar
with a wide variety of artifacts, cultures, and tribes. “We’ve had a problem
finding people who can do this,” Schmieg said.
She indicated most of those
responding to the museum’s request for help have been commercial appraisers
or artifact dealers who could fix values to the objects. “But that is not what
is needed,” Schmieg said.
Schmieg explained the museum
has a large collection of basketry, clothing and textiles, stone tools, pottery
and other artifacts with inconclusive documentation concerning origin. She had
hoped qualified personnel from the Smithsonian or a University would be able
to identify and inventory the pieces, but so far there has been no positive
response.
Bradford County where Tioga
Point Museum is located and Susquehanna County where Susquehanna Historical
Society is located are two of four counties Endless Mountains Heritage Region
encompasses.
The region, identified and
recognized by Pennsylvania as an area with a distinct rural, agrarian character,
also includes Sullivan, and Wyoming Counties. Endless Mountains Heritage Region,
organized around the theme of agricultural heritage in 1998, has provided funds
totaling over a million dollars during four grant cycles for 30 regional organizations.
Last year, in its fourth annual
granting cycle, 14 regional projects totaling $224,000 were funded. This year
20 regional organizations submitted grant proposals. Including projects undertaken
by the Heritage Park itself the total regional economic impact since 1998 is
approximately two million dollars.
Endless Mountains Heritage
Region is currently conducting its first membership drive. Memberships are offered
to individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations and industry. The organization
is headquartered at 10 Park Street, Towanda. Board members are drawn from all
four counties and represent heritage organizations, local government, tourism,
business and industry, and other groups.
Endless Mountains Heritage
Region can be explored on the web at www.emhr.org; reached via email at emhr@epix.net;
or at 570-265-1528.
Tioga Point Museum is open
Tuesdays and Thursdays, Noon to 8 p.m., and Saturdays10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Researchers and larger groups can call 888-7225 for special appointments.
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Old Mill Village Takes Visitors Back in
Time
NEW MILFORD - Visiting Old Mill Village is a bit like time travel. Traditional
crafts and trades are presented in a setting typical of the agricultural lifestyle
common to the Endless Mountains Region as far back as two hundred years ago.
Old Mill Village, located on
Route 848, has a positive regional/community influence typical of those assisted
through the Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR) granting program. The non-profit
organization was awarded $9,500 by EMHR in 1999 to develop the first phase of
a comprehensive master plan to improve organizational development. A second
grant of $15,000 was awarded in 2001 to develop the second phase of the plan
exploring funding streams, growth, publicity and improved programming.
Working with
Endless Mountains Heritage Region has been a wonderful experience, according
to Esther Weldon, project coordinator. She had high praise for current EMHR
Executive Director Bob Veleker and his staff. “He has experience, does research,
offers seminars and networking opportunities with other people from small museums.
He encourages us to go out and learn more,” Weldon said. “The office staff is
wonderful. Somebody is on the job all the time there, giving good advice.”
She said those writing the
grants Old Mill Village received gained “moral support” and “help with the language”
from EMHR staff, a real boon to small organizations without professional grant
writers.
She said the all-volunteer staff and board of Old Mill Village could not
have accomplished so much without the supportive staff and funding offered through
EMHR. The comprehensive master plan being developed addresses a variety of issues
including recruiting more volunteers to help carry the new plan forward.
“I can’t say enough about what
we have gained through these grants,” Weldon said. She explained that as Old
Mill Village grows and improves services to the community. It will also attract
more visitors to the region, benefiting area restaurants and lodging places.
Visitors interested in historical
sites tend to travel through a region visiting more than one place. Weldon said
brochures and information about other historical sites are available at the
museum. As visitors travel from one part of the region to another the economic
benefits increase. The museum has visitors from all parts of the country, Weldon
said. Recent visitors included some from New England. Frequently people who
grew up here return with their families to share their heritage, she explained.
Old Mill Village was founded
to interpret the agricultural history of the region over 30 years ago. Its location
on 34 acres along Mylert Creek was the site of a sawmill in 1813 and has a rich
historical background. Visitors can choose from a variety of themed days and
events at the village to experience anything from Celtic music and dance, or
learn about cloth making from sheep to loom.
Standing exhibits include blacksmithing,
wood working, a trapper’s cabin, candle shop, cobbler’s shop, schoolhouse, post
office, barber shop, and a covered bridge, many of them housed in historic buildings
transported to the site.
EMHR is a state heritage park
formed in 1998 organized around an agricultural theme and encompassing Bradford,
Sullivan, Susquehanna and Wyoming counties. The organization has funded 35 projects
in the region since it was founded.
This year 20 regional
non-profit organizations have applied for grants for a wide range of projects,
from historic preservation efforts and improving museum exhibits to feasibility
studies, to improving organizational development.
EMHR strives to enhance visitor
experiences in the region, maintain the high-quality rural lifestyle of residents,
and nurture projects, which will have a positive economic impact on the region.
Old Mill Village has several
goals for the current planning phase centered on providing a sound future for
the organization. Developing funding streams and financial plans are a primary
part of this phase of the project.
An assessment of the museum’s
existing structures and an inventory of stored artifacts will be accomplished.
A Long range marketing plan, strategic plan and interpretive/educational plans
are other project goals. Linking the museum to other historical sites in the
region to provide broader interpretation of regional historical aspects will
be explored.
Currently Old Mill Village
has an active summer program series, day camps for scouts, and during the school
year provides historical focus for students from area schools. This aspect historic
interpretation will be deepened by offering programs that meet curriculum requirements
by presenting materials and skills to teachers who can incorporate them into
lesson plans. Volunteers, many of whom have served on the board, will be an
integral part of the team gathering data during this planning phase.
Old Mill Village is open from
May through October. Sunday programs are from noon to 5 p.m. For more information
call 570-465-3448, or check out www.oldmillvillage.com.
Endless Mountains Heritage
Region can be explored on the web at www.emhr.org; reached via email at emhr@epix.net;
or at 570-265-1528.
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EMHR has Growing Regional Impact
TUNKHANNOCK - Wyoming County Historical Society, the only such organization
in Wyoming County, recently finished a major renovation project to its headquarters,
the former Sand Hill School on Bridge and Harrison Streets. The project
was funded by Endless Mountains Heritage Region’s (EMHR), which provides grants
to non-profit organizations for a variety of projects.
“EMHR represents the finest
example of cooperation between local organizations and state agencies to bring
tax dollars back into communities,” explained Project Coordinator Mark Mitchell.
Mitchell knows the impact EMHR
is having on the region firsthand. A board member for about four years, he is
currently the organization’s vice president and serves on a number of committees,
spending “a minimum” of 100 hours a year on activies relating to EMHR. He indicated
his investment of time and personal commitment to EMHR is not unusual, most
board members are just as dedicated.
“Personally my reward is the
satisfaction of giving something back to Northeastern Pennsylvania, an area
that’s been so good to me,” Mitchell said. He is a retired banking executive
who resides with his wife in Tunkhannock.
Repairs to the Society’s headquarters will insure long term protection
of exhibits and an extensive collection of genealogical materials, Mitchell
said. He added that the genealogical library collection is considered one of
the finest in the region.
The historical society was
established over two decades ago and has been very active in the local community
and the region. Museum exhibits paint a picture of the region’s past on the
ground floor, while upstairs the genealogy library, an open stack research facility,
includes a microfilm collection of census data and archives of regional historical
data. The building also provides space for the Tunkhannock Chapter of the Daughters
of the American Revolution and Tunkhannock Post of the American Legion.
“EMHR acted as a conduit between
DCNR and our local historical society,” Mitchell said.
Anyone who wants to see the
beneficial local effect of EMHR on the Endless Mountains Region “need only walk
around in Tunkhannock,” Mitchell asserted. Renovations to the Dietrich Theater
and Sand Hill School have done a great deal to improve the community’s appearance
and engage both residents and visitors in the region’s rich history through
an increasing number and variety of events. He indicated another project is
pending with the Endless Mountains Council on the Arts gallery on the outskirts
of town.
The Society’s recent renovation
project fits well within funding criteria for EMHR’s grant program, which awarded
it $22,000 in 2001. The award was met with local matching funds raised by the
Society through memberships and book sales. Renovations included roof and window
repairs, restoration of a cupola, replacement of rotting windowsills and storm
window installation.
All repairs were accomplished with careful regard to the original architecture
and appearance of the stately historic building. Sand Hill School was constructed
over 150 years ago, with additions in 1870 and 1895. Sickler Construction of
Meshoppen, a fine example of how EMHR funds are funneled into local economies,
made the recent renovations.
“We live in a beautiful region of Pennsylvania,” Mitchell said. “EMHR
is dedicated to preserving the local character of the region, not just for residents,
but for tourists and visitors.”
EMHR, a state heritage park formed in 1998, is organized around an agricultural
theme. The organization, which receives grant funding through the Department
of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), has backed 35 projects in the
Endless Mountains Region. The heritage park encompasses Bradford, Sullivan,
Susquehanna and Wyoming counties. EMHR strives to enhance visitor experiences
in the region, maintain the rural lifestyle of residents, and nurture projects
that will have a positive economic impact on the region.
Mitchell said he hopes to see EMHR continue its mission, but expects to
see it grow, having even more impact throughout the region through “partnering
with DCNR and local organizations to enhance the Endless Mountains Region.”
Last year, during EMHR’s fourth annual granting cycle, 14 regional projects
totaling $224,000 were funded. This year 20 non-profit organizations applied
for funds. Projects range from historic preservation and improving museum exhibits
to feasibility studies aimed at improving organizational development. Awards
for the current grant round will be announced late this summer.
The Wyoming Historical Society
offers tours for school students and senior citizen groups, genealogical seminars
and a bi-annual “Heirloom Discovery Afternoon” when participants can bring items
in for evaluation. Museum displays illustrate the past industrial history of
the area and Native American artifacts unearthed during construction of the
recently opened route 6 bypass.
The museum is open each Wednesday,
and the first and third Saturday each month, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is open
Tuesdays for the summer season from May through September. Special tours may
be arranged. For more information call 570-836-5303, or visit the museum on
the web at www.rootsweb.com/pa.wyomin/.
Endless Mountains Heritage
Region can be explored on the web at www.emhr.org; reached via email at emhr@epix.net;
or at 570-265-1528.
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Hall
Renovations Will Heighten the Spirit of Community
LAPORTE - Laporte Borough, seat of Sullivan
County, was awarded an Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR) grant of $10,000
this fall to begin preserving, repairing and winterizing its historic community
hall. This is the second EMHR grant the municipality received in connection with
the project. The first grant, awarded in 2001, provided $16,000 for a feasibility
study and planning renovations.
EMHR, currently in its second membership campaign,
has been instrumental in funding many projects throughout the Endless Mountains
Region. Individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations and industries can support
this important organization through memberships. Membership provides an opportunity
to participate in an organization with deep regional roots. EMHR is strongly invested
in regional community goals and maintaining a high quality of life in Bradford,
Sullivan, Wyoming and Susquehanna Counties through promoting historic preservation
and development, tourism, recreation, economic development, cultural development,
agriculture, community planning and implementation. The Laporte Community Hall
project will start by replacing the current metal roof with rubber slate tile
roofing, estimated to cost $19,200. A preliminary study by J.R. Architects Inc.
of Dallas, funded by the first grant placed highest priority on replacing the
roof to avoid compromising the foundation.
The building was built in 1873 as a Methodist church.
It was deeded to Sullivan County by Secker Meylert. The county deeded the building
to Laporte Borough in 1977.
Today it is a focal point of life in the tiny rural
town, representing the history and heart of the community. But currently it can
only be used during the warmer months. Overall plans include repairs from top
to bottom over a period of years, including installation of a heating system so
it can be used year-round.
As the project progresses, residents of the community
and region will become aware of and appreciate its historical value. The hall
currently serves as a social, economical, educational center for Laporte and surrounding
municipalities. The building is on Muncy Street across the street from the restored
Baldwin House, owned by the Sullivan County Historical Society. It is also close
to the society headquarters, a museum in the county's tiny former jail, which
sits behind the county court house, already on the National Historic Registry.
Together the buildings flavor the little town with the ambience of bygone years.
Once renovations are complete, borough council members
expect the community hall to be used for an expanded variety of programs, from
educational and social events to meetings, conferences and workshops.
Students participating in the Sullivan County Cultural
and Historical Education Program presented a forum at the Hall in 2000. They compiled
an inventory of historical sites and folk traditions guided by community mentors.
Sullivan County Historical Society and Northern Tier Cultural Alliance based at
Mansfield University, partnered for that project also partially funded through
EMHR. The forum was attended by people from surrounding areas.
Other events epitomize rural life past and present.
Holiday celebrations such as a community Halloween party, and an annual Memorial
Day celebration. The local Women's Club hosts a free brunch following memorial
ceremonies in nearby Mountain Ash Cemetery. This annual event reunites year-round
residents with the large summer community at nearby Lake Mokoma, and elderly residents
who spend winters in the south. Several hundred people typically attend. Birthday
celebrations, family reunions, wedding receptions, and fund raising events are
also typical.
The Laporte Women's Club hosts an annual public
forum on borough council matters and the status of various community projects
at the hall. Laporte Tree Committee meetings and educational lectures are held
there. All these groups will appreciate being able to use the facility year-round.
In addition renovations will stimulate the local
economy, providing employment for local construction industries including lumberyards,
painters and craftsmen. More far-reaching effects include a positive impact on
tourism, and the forward momentum of community spirit, which has a positive impact
on attracting new and expanding businesses.
Work on the project is scheduled to begin next spring.
Borough council hopes to see it completed by fall.
Several improvements to the building were already completed in recent years including
upgrading restroom facilities, repairing the foundation, improving sidewalks and
landscaping.
EMHR maintains an office at 10 Park Street, Towanda
and can be explored on the web at www.emhr.org; reached via email at emhr@epix.net;
or by phone at 570-265-1528.
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French Azilum Heritage Site Grows with
EMHR Funding
WYSOX – French Azilum Historic Site was recently awarded a grant of $15,000
by Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR) to develop a comprehensive master
plan for guiding Azilum’s board through the next three to five years.
Endless Mountains Heritage Region is a state heritage
park organized around an agricultural theme, encompassing Bradford, Sullivan,
Susquehanna and Wyoming counties in northeastern Pennsylvania.
Azilum’s grant is one of fourteen awarded
to regional 501c3 organizations and municipalities by EMHR this fall. Since
its formation in 1998, EMHR has funded 50 projects throughout the region.
“Endless Mountains Heritage Region has been
extraordinarily helpful to us,” said Tom Owens, French Azilum site director.
This grant award is merely the most recent example of EMHR’s assistance,
another grant was awarded before he came on board, explained Owens, who has
been site director for about six months. The previous grant of $37,500 awarded
in 2000 was used to evaluate and improve interpretation of the historic site.
Owens said his experience working with EMHR has been very positive.
“I give the organization extremely high
marks. Executive Director Bob Veleker has been exceptionally good to work with,”
Owens said.
Owens and his wife, a board member of Canton’s
Rekindle the Spirit, another organization assisted through EMHR’s grant program,
feel EMHR is a very positive factor in the region.
“EMHR stirs the pot, gets people involved,”
he said. “It’s a great public relations agent and is always in the press. It’s
a real asset to the region.”
French Azilum’s current project will create
a plan to manage organizational growth and improvement. It will address issues
from fundraising and capitol improvement to current and future building and
grounds needs.
Staffing and volunteer needs will also considered,
and partnerships with governmental agencies and other non-profits reviewed.
Marketing plans and special events programming will be developed, as will educational
and publications programs.
An all-volunteer board governs French Azilum
Inc., which administers the Heritage Site under contract with Pennsylvania Historic
Museum Commission. Volunteers bring to the board a variety of skills, enthusiasm
and interests.
“Having the strategic plan in place will
be exceptionally helpful to us,” Owens said. He expects to have the comprehensive
master plan completed and in use within a year.
EMHR grants like this one for planning,
feasibility studies and organizational development are termed ‘special purpose
studies’. These grants require 25 percent matching funds. Grants for implementation
projects such as historical site inventories, developing museum exhibits, and
restoring or renovating historic buildings, must be matched dollar for dollar.
EMHR’s funding for grants comes through the Department of Natural Resources
and Conservation’s Heritage Park Program, returning tax dollars to the region.
The idyllic riverside site of French Azilum
is well worth preserving and promoting. Once a bustling wilderness community
of nobility exiled during the French revolution, oral history indicates the
group intended their settlement as a hiding place for French royalty.
Although visible signs of the original French
Settlement are scarce, the historical site is open to the public with exhibits
housed in rustic log structures and a farmhouse house built in 1836 by descendants
of the settlement.
Massive stone walls, an herb garden, recently added gazebo and labyrinth garden,
an archeological dig and a self-guided nature trail alongside the Susquehanna
River offer a variety of photo opportunities and experiences.
Enhancing those experiences for visitors
is the ultimate goal of funding obtained through EMHR. French Azilum offers
a glimpse into an obscure fragment of history. Americans backers viewed helping
Azilum get established as a way of showing appreciation for French assistance
in winning the American Revolution.
Philadelphian Robert Morris, a key figure
in the American Revolution, backed the French wilderness community. But Morris
eventually went bankrupt due to his financial support of the American war for
independence and was unable to provide ongoing financial support for Azilum.
While active, the settlement provided refuge
not only for French exiles coming directly from France, but also for French
plantation owners fleeing a slave uprising in Santo Domingo.
By 1793 300 of the 1,600 acres acquired
by Azilum was divided into 400 lots. One account listed 30 log houses most two-story,
with glass windows, pine shingled roofs and sturdy foundational cellars. Inhabitants
raised sheep and cattle, established a blacksmith shop, stores, taverns and
a dance hall.
But settlers of Azilum remained aloof from
surrounding communities. Although instrumental in helping Americans win their
freedom, these settlers represented the very class Americans fought against
to obtain freedom from England. The exiles cloistered themselves against rising
anti-French sentiment in neighbors more sympathetic with French rebels than
French nobility.
They concentrated on improving their settlement,
building a church large enough for the entire population, a school, mills and
even a theater. They also constructed “La Grande Maison” a two-story structure
reputedly 84 by 60 feet, with glass windows and eight fireplaces. Oral history
calls this “The Queen’s House” maintaining it was intended to shelter Marie
Antoinette and her children. Famous visitors to Azilum included French aristocrats
Tallyrand, and Louis Philippe, who would later become King of France.
But the wilderness settlement was doomed
from the outset. Funds from France dwindled and American backers Morris and
Nicholson went bankrupt. Just a few years after Azilum was established residents
began leaving. Some returned to Santo Domingo, others accepted Napoleon’s offer
in 1803 allowing exiled French nobility to return.
Although the main settlement lasted only
a decade, some exiles remained in America. Their influence lingers in places
like Homet, Laporte, Nordmont, Dushore, and Homet’s Ferry.
French Azilum historical site is open Wednesdays
through Sundays in June, July & August, and weekends only in May, September
& October. Exhibits include tools, maple syrup production, weaving,
and blacksmithing.
Although the site is remote, there are clearly
posted signs. From Rt. 6 in Towanda, turn onto Rt. 187 south; travel four miles
to State Route 2014, which leads directly to the Azilum site. For more
information about French Azilum call 570-265-3376, or explore: http://bradford-pa.com/sites/azilum.
For more information about Endless Mountains Heritage Region email emhr@epix.net;
or call 570-265-1528. Endless Mountains Heritage Region can be explored on the
web at www.emhr.org.
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EMHR Re-energizes Historic County Seats
Throughout Endless Mountains Region
TOWANDA – Historic buildings renovated in Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna and
Wyoming County Seats are typical of projects funded by Endless Mountains Heritage
Region (EMHR), a State Heritage Park.
Some projects previously funded are located in the County Seats of each of the
four counties comprising the Endless Mountain Region.
“EMHR represents the finest example
of cooperation between local organizations and state agencies to bring tax dollars
back into communities,” said Mark Mitchell, EMHR vice president.
A number of organizations in Mitchell’s hometown of Tunkhannock, County Seat
of Wyoming County, have received funding.
Anyone who wants to see the beneficial local effect of EMHR on the Endless Mountains
Region “need only walk around in Tunkhannock,” Mitchell asserted.
The cumulative effect of EMHR historic
preservation efforts is profound on Tunkhannock’s downtown area. Local residents
and visitors enjoy the Dietrich Theater, refurbished over four years from a
state of ruin to an operating theater showing first run movies in two theaters
and offering live performances onstage.
Special events at the theater attract people from surrounding areas, while weeknights
offer an entertainment boon for those living in town. The theater is the cornerstone
of downtown renovation efforts, and its reopening has energized the area. New
businesses catering to movie-goers and enticing tourists to linger have opened.
“Town is exciting again,” said Hildy
Morgan, executive director of the Wyoming County Cultural Center, responsible
for the theater project. “We believed we could change a blighted area and generate
jobs.”
She credits much of the project’s success to EMHR grants and staff. An initial
grant for $10,000 was awarded in 1998 and $18,000 additional funding provided
in 1999 to renovate the theater’s façade. “It made all the difference,”
Morgan said. She maintains the theater is “The most beautiful building in town.”
The Wyoming County Historical Society
also benefited from an EMHR grant of $22,000 for major renovations to its headquarters,
the former Sand Hill School. The building was constructed over 150 years ago,
with additions made in 1870 and 1895. Recent repairs included roof and
window repairs, restoration of a cupola, replacement of rotting windowsills
and storm window installation.
Renovations to Dietrich Theater
and Sand Hill School have done a great deal to improve the community’s appearance
and engage both residents and visitors in the region’s rich history through
an increasing number and variety of events. Mitchell indicated another project
is pending with the Endless Mountains Council on the Arts gallery on the outskirts
of town.
“We live in a beautiful region
of Pennsylvania,” Mitchell said. “EMHR is dedicated to preserving the local
character of the region, not just for residents, but for tourists and visitors.”
Project recipients in Towanda,
Seat of Bradford County, include the Bradford County Historical Society, which
received funding toward creating a museum and genealogy research center in the
former county jail. The 16,000 square foot derelict building, vacant since 1989,
was transformed into a state-of-the-art museum, history genealogy research library
and archives. The jail is a contributing property in Towanda’s historic district
and is listed on the National register.
Avery Frink of Montrose, a designer
who worked throughout the region, constructed the jail from 1871-73 of locally
quarried stone. Frink was active in construction throughout the Endless Mountains
Region. He built Towanda’s second courthouse in 1848 and is believed have built
a jail in Jim Thorpe where members of the Mollie Macguires were held in the
late 1800s. Frink also designed and built the Montrose jail in the 1850s and
its courthouse in 1867.
In 1998 the Center for Anti Slavery
Study (C.A.S.S.) located in Montrose, Susquehanna County seat, was awarded an
EMHR grant of $25,000 to develop long range plans for discovering, collecting
and preserving history relating to the Abolition Movement and Underground Railroad
in Northeastern Pennsylvania. C.A.S.S., dedicated to preserving, interpreting
and presenting Susquehanna County’s rich history of abolition activities, is
headquartered in the 1816 Silver Lake Bank, the oldest building in town.
In 1840 the bank building belonged
to Abolitionist Francis Blake Chandler. Local oral traditions indicate between
1840-65 the building served as a stop on the Underground Railroad. Currently
C.A.S.S. uses the building to host a variety of events and exhibits.
Laporte Borough, Sullivan County
Seat, received funding to plan the renovation of a historic building in its
scenic county seat. The Laporte Community Hall, built as a church 128 years
ago, is a focal point of life for the tiny rural town, but it can only be used
effectively during warm months. Repair plans include repairs from top to bottom
over a period of years, and installation of a heating system so the building
can be enjoyed year-round.
The building is across the street from the restored Baldwin House, owned by
Sullivan County Historical Society, and is close to the Society’s museum headquarters
in a tiny former jail tucked behind the county’s historic brick courthouse.
EMHR has been instrumental
in many other projects throughout the Endless Mountains Region and has growing
support through membership including individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations
and industry. The organization strives to maintain and enhance the unique rural
character and culture of the Endless Mountains through promoting historic preservation
and development, tourism, recreation, economic development, cultural development,
agriculture, community planning and implementation.
EMHR was organized around an agricultural
heritage theme representative of the four rural counties it serves in 1998.
The organization provides guidance and funding to nonprofit organizations and
municipalities for a wide variety of projects centered around historic preservation
and economic benefits. Since 1998 it has pumped approximately two million dollars
into the economies of the four counties it serves as a Heritage Park. Last year
14 regional projects totaling $224,000 were funded.
An announcement is expected soon
from Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, administrator of the
Heritage Park Program, as to which of the 20 projects requesting grants during
the fifth grant round will be funded.
EMHR is gearing up for its sixth
granting round now, inviting nonprofit organizations and municipalities to file
notices of intent to be make application for grant funds. The deadline for notices
of intent for the upcoming grant round is Sept. 27. Notice of Intent applications
are available from the EMHR office in Towanda or can be downloaded from the
website.
EMHR maintains an office at
10 Park Street, Towanda and can be explored on the web at www.emhr.org; reached
via email at emhr@epix.net; or at 570-265-1528
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© 2002 Endless Mountains Heritage Region
