Learning from Lewisburg
8. Lower town |
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At the corner of Market and 5th Sts., sundry stores are situated in a magnificent example of late 19th C commercial
architecture – the façade of this building is cast iron. |
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Walk to the railroad tracks, turn right and walk down
the tracks to Roller Mill (the large red building on the left that
fronts on St. Mary St.): |
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This area represents the second major phase of industrial
development at Lewisburg, the railroad-based industrial center (as
opposed to the early mills and factory by the river which represent
the first phase of economic development — a river-based industrial
center). You will find the third, road-based industrial centers along
Rt. 192 exemplified by the huge PlayWorld headquarters building, or
— until recently — JPM Industries and the International
Paper factory along Rt. 15. Note: |
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-- on the left, the warehouse structures ranging along
the tracks toward Rt. 15. the large mill at the junction of the two
rail lines — one line runs north/south along the river; the other
runs east/west crossing the river, running along the line of present
St. John and then west to Mifflinburg and beyond. |
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-- the two sidings curving to join the N-S line; one is
represented by a sweep of abandoned multiple concrete piers, standing
like dominos, in the low area to the south of the mill. Bechtels,
the Lewisburg dairy, had its plant, its warehouse, its store, and
its giant Holstein cow a bit farther up the tracks, nearer Rt. 15 ... until Applebee's on the strip put them out of business. |
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Walk back and turn right on Market St.; stop just past
the little storefront on the corner: |
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Note Hufnagle Park, the large open area across the
street. This once was a block of structures similar to the other
side of the street, but the structures here by the creek were razed
after being damaged in the 1972 flood, and a park was established.
It was named in honor of the former Lewisburg chief of police who
died here trying to rescue someone from rising water in 1972. |
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A park remains where an urban block
was damaged after the 1972 "Agnes" flood. Bull Run is prone
to flooding on its own, and river water sweeps entirely around the
middle of town during really big floods. |
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In the middle distance – at St. Louis and Fifth Sts.
– is the Borough Office building in the old Reading freight terminal.
Generations of Bucknell students arrived in Lewisburg at the passenger
terminal, replaced by the newer buildings nearer Market St. |
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The bandstand in the park, site of numerous touching
small town communal events — the Christmas tree lighting, the 4th
of July band concert, music in the park on summer evenings, peace
rallies, etc. It is also popular with local skateboarders who have
bashed off every fragile corner of the structure. |
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Walk on to the bridge over Bull Run: |
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Note the rip-rapping of Bull Run to stabilize the stream
bank against flood erosion. |
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View from this bridge in September
1999 ... local folks have reason to fear this stream. Most of the
housing visible here is student rentals. |
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The small covered footbridge to the right was constructed
by a Bucknell civil engineering class. |
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On this part of Market St.you can note the signs that
you are nearing the college. To your left is Sixth St., the student
ghetto. |
| A fieldguide to the student district. |
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Student-oriented business: beer, hair,
pizza. |
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Rentals advertised two years in advance |
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Small buildings, lots of students,
relatively steep rent. |
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Student housing lets itself be known. |
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Student expression of self-image: leisure,
sport, music, big cars, causal parking. |
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Rental patterns in the Lewisburg area
(map shows % of housing units that are available for rent; blue is
high & yellow low). You can pick out the location of the floodplain
— and therefore housing that long-term residents avoid —
in the small blue zones in the middle, near Bucknell. |
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