The Mill at Anselma in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania has been a National Historic Landmark since 2005, and an operational Mill before the United States of America began. It is an independent, non-profit historic site today. Nestled along the Pickering Creek, the Mill site preserves over 250 years of Chester County’s industrial history. The Mill retains its original Colonial-Era power train, as well as multiple layers of industrial equipment ranging from the late 1700s to the mid 1900s. The 22 acre property and surviving historical buildings demonstrate a heritage engineered to last. It is open to the public and hosts educational and entertaining events. It is free to walk around the grounds.
I photographed the mill in black and white using an old Canon A2E on Kentmere 400 film. I developed these myself. I am chuffed that they are usable (not that terrible).
My mother grew up in Pittsburgh, but my grandmother’s family were Slovak coal miners who settled in the town of Perryopolis. I finally got to visit this town recently, although I probably should have made more if an effort when I lived in Pittsburgh back in the early 90s.
George Washington purchased 1,644 acres (6.65 km2) here when land first became available. He visited in 1770 and said, “as fine a land as I have ever seen, a great deal of rich meadow; it is well watered and has a valuable mill seat.” The mill would eventually be completed in 1776. Once the mill was finished, it encouraged other business to come to the area to support and augment the business of the mill.
Washington hoped to develop the remainder of Perryopolis, drawing up plans for the streets to be laid out in the shape of a wagon-wheel. Washington’s estate sold the land after his death; in 1814 Perryopolis, previously known as “New Boston”, was officially laid out using Washington’s plans and named for Oliver Hazard Perry for his victory on Lake Erie during the War of 1812.
In the late 19th century, the area around Perryopolis was first mined for coal. Until the 1950s, coal industries would be the area’s primary economic activity, served by the Washington Run branch of the P&LE Railroad that continued on to Star Junction. However, Perryopolis developed differently from other nearby mining towns. Instead of housing laborers, Perryopolis was mainly inhabited by foremen and white collar workers who were associated with the mining industry.
An unexpected town square.
The Gue House in Perryopolis, PA is a log home originally built sometime around 1820 and then reconstructed in 1976. The Gue House is the only log home still standing in Perryopolis and represents the type of house built by early settlers of the town. No exact date exists for this structure but it was of the early 1800’s. This is the type of home one of the first settlers of Perryopolis would have lived in. Local legend has it that this was the first complete two-story log cabin in Pennsylvania. It is owned by the Perryopolis Parks and Recreation Authority and operates as a part of the Time Gift Shop and Visitors Center, and currently houses the Gue House Gallery.
The Gue House, the only remaining log home.
St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church, also known as St. Nicholas Greek Catholic Church, is an historic Catholic church. It was built between 1912 and 1918, and is a 30 feet by 60 feet yellow brick building in the Byzantine Revival style. It has a cruciform plan and the gabled roof is topped by four onion domes. The church served a community of Rusyns who originally settled in the area prior to 1907. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church, one of the town’s several buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
I managed to take a short drive around Erie during the time I was there.
The Bicentennial Tower on the waterfront.The best view I could get of the brig Niagara since the maritime museum was closed at the time.The Erie Land Lighthouse.High and dry.The beautiful Russian Old Rite Orthodox Church.
The following two historic homes were moved and reconstructed on their current sites.
VON BUSECK HOUSE — C. 1815 This saltbox-style farmhouse was built c.1815 in west Millcreek on what is now known as 5021 West 38th Street, south of Wheaton Road. The land was owned by Irish immigrant John Nicholson (1764–1828), and the family of John Wheaton owned the building for a time. For over 150 years it was owned by Louis Von Buseck (1812–1893) and his descendants. Louis was born Ludwig Heinrich Von Buseck in Germany, the second son of Baron Carl Philip Von Buseck.
The Von Buseck House.
HON. JUDAH COLT HOUSE — C. 1820 One of Erie County’s earliest citizens, Hon. Judah Colt (1761–1832), settled at what is now known as Colt Station in 1796. He moved to the Borough of Erie in 1804 as the agent for the county’s first land developer, Pennsylvania Population Company. Colt served as burgess of Erie in 1813 and 1820–1821. He built this Federal-style house c.1820 at the southwest corner of East 4th and French streets where he entertained the Marquis De Lafayette (1757–1834) on June 3, 1825. This was also home to his nephew Thomas G. Colt (1805–1861), the last Burgess and the first mayor for the city of Erie. The house was moved to 345 East Front St. in 1890.
The Davis Hollow Cabin was featured as a location in the film The Pale Blue Eye as the home of detective Augustus Landor. The cabin is located in Moraine State Park very near a marina. Originally built in 1780, the cabin is one of the historic facilities along the North County Trail. Over the years, the cabin fell into disrepair and nature took its toll. In 2005 a group of volunteers got together to conserve the cabin (the Friends of Davis Hollow Cabin). The cabin is available for rent in the warmer months.
I somehow was expecting this building to be a lot more isolated. In the film, it is usually depicted under a blanket of snow with a wide offset view of the front of the building. Here are some different views of the building in Spring and some of the nearby “reality” adjacent to the marina.
We will return back to eastern Pennsylvania for a couple of weeks after our swing through the western part of the commonwealth. Pennsylvania has quite a few old iron furnaces spread across the state. In fact, Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site lies near the border of Chester and Berks counties. Not far away is the site of the Warwick Iron Furnace. The site is part of Warwick Furnace Farms, a historic district that includes the ruins of the early iron furnace owned by Anna Rutter Nutt, widow of Samuel Nutt. The ironmaster’s house and workers’ houses, as well as a historic farmhouse and barns now used in the operation of a working farm.
Anna Rutter Nutt was the daughter of Thomas Rutter, who erected the first ironwork in Pennsylvania. Samuel Nutt bought the original tracts of land with partners William Branson and Mordecai Lincoln, the great great grandfather of Abraham Lincoln. The furnace was managed by George Taylor when the first Franklin Stoves were cast here. The furnace operated through the 1860s and supplied the iron used in the iron-clad ship the USS Monitor during the Civil War. The 786 acre historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
I visited back in early Spring. The landscape around here is lovely and well worth a trip.
Our next stop in the swing through western Pennsylvania is McConnells Mills State Park. The signature of this park is a 19th century gristmill and adjacent covered bridge. It occupies 2,546 acres of the spectacular Slippery Rock Creek Gorge, which is a National Natural Landmark. Created by the draining of glacial lakes thousands of years ago, the gorge has steep sides while the valley floor is littered with huge boulders. Scenic overlooks and waterfalls are popular natural attractions.
The park has distinctive geology. The bedrock formed more than 300 million years ago as layers of sand, mud, and peat built up in what was a coastal area. After becoming rock, these different layers were lifted to the surface in several mountain-building events. The different strengths of these rocks cause them to erode differently, helping to make the varied landscape of the park. The gorge and the dramatic topography of the park were created by glaciers during the past two million years.
The Cleland Rock Scenic Vista – unfortunately this has become a bit overgrown.
Presque Isle State Park is a 3,200-acre sandy peninsula that extends into Lake Erie and is the state’s only “seashore.” It offers a beautiful coastline and many year round recreational activities, including swimming, boating, fishing, hiking, bicycling, and in-line skating. It is a significant birding hotspot. The Tom Ridge Environmental Center is near the entrance to the park.
The neck of the peninsula is attached to the mainland four miles west of downtown Erie. The peninsula creates Presque Isle Bay, a wide and deep harbor for the city of Erie. The bay attracts many pleasure boats and worldwide freight traffic, making Erie an important Great Lakes shipping port.
A National Natural Landmark, Presque Isle is a favorite spot for migrating birds. Because of the many unique habitats, Presque Isle contains a greater number of the state’s endangered, threatened, and rare species than any other area of comparable size in Pennsylvania.
The North Pier Lighthouse.The Presque Isle Lighthouse.These structures take the term ‘houseboat” literally.The Perry MonumentSome views of wetland habitat that are so valuable for birds and other critters.
West along the shores of Lake Erie is the 587-acre Erie Bluffs State Park. The park offers one mile of shoreline, 90-foot bluffs overlooking Lake Erie, and access to Elk Creek, a shallow stream steelhead fishery. Significant natural features include several plant species of conservation concern, uncommon black oak woodland/savannah habitat, Great Lakes region sand barren ecosystems, and forested wetlands.
The Elk Creek access area provides fishing and boat launch areas.
Oil Creek State Park lies in northwestern Pennsylvania in the Oil Creek Valley. It is the site of the world’s first commercial oil well. The park preserves the history of the early petroleum industry by interpreting oil boomtowns, oil wells, and early transportation. The scenic creek carves a valley of deep hollows, steep hillsides, and wetlands and provides opportunities for kayaking, wildlife watching and fishing. Hiking is a popular activity here, and a 36 mile loop trail has two shelter areas that support backpackers.
At the time of my visit, work on the Petroleum Center Bridge blocked egress through the park. However, following the detour to the other side of the park is well worthwhile.
The site of the former Petroleum Center Train Station.Can’t get there from here.
On the hill above Oil City is Murray’s Scenic View, overlooking the city and Oil Creek. It is a very nice view, and there is even a small restaurant for a drink or a snack.
One of Pennsylvania’s iconic state parks is Kinzua Bridge. There is a large visitor center and an opportunity to walk out onto the old railroad viaduct with impressive views of the valley below.
The Viaduct was once the longest and tallest railroad structure at 2,053 feet long and 301 feet high. It was partially destroyed by a tornado during 2003. Reinvented as a pedestrian walkway in 2011, visitors can stroll 600 feet out on the remaining support towers, peer miles out into the Kinzua Gorge, and gaze down through the partial glass platform at the end of the walkway. The Kinzua Bridge State Park Visitor Center features great views, self-guiding exhibits, and information about the surrounding area.
A view to the valley below. This photo really doesn’t do it justice.Some exhibits in the Visitor’s Center.A unexpected photo op – the Swedish Viking Ship sculpture in nearby Mt. Jewett.
A day out in the rural areas of Lancaster County will provide many encounters with horse drawn buggies, whether in motion or stationery. Sundays tend to be particularly busy, with people going to church or visiting neighbors.
A small child looks on …Traffic Gap with a miniature of the Clock Tower (full size below).People who drive buggies need to shop too. Stores in the area often have hitches, or even simple open sheds, for horse parking.
