Small Towns

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Small Towns

Temple University Photojournalism

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Table of Contents

Intro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Birdsboro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Bowmansville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Centralia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Clinton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26East Falls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Elmer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Harpers Ferry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Lambertville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50Landenberg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56Lititz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Little Britain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68Marcus Hook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74Millersville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80Oley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86Port Republic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92Schuylkill Haven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98Shawmont . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

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PrefaceSomewhere beyond the cityscape, tucked away in the countryside, lies a small town. There aren’t very many people, and hardly any big corporations. It’s just a small town with a tight-knit community of people. There’s a definite feel to a place like this. It’s a world of its own where families have raised their children for generations. Private businesses line the streets and people leisurely meander through. There is a sense of familiarity to it. It is easy to get lost in a big city, but when you’re in a small town, you always feel at home. The locals might even take you in and make you feel like a long lost friend. It may not have all the flash of a tourist town or the brand name stores that we’ve become accustomed to shopping, but what it does have is the unique footprint that cannot be recreated. This is the beauty of the small town.

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Birdsboro, PADillon Mast

• Population: 5,163• Named for ironmaker

William Bird, who established a forge on Hay Creek in 1740.

• Birdsboro played an important role in establishing Pennsylvania as the capital of the steel industry during the Industrial Revolution.

• Chad Hurley, founder of YouTube, grew up in Birdsboro.


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I chose Birdsboro because I knew there was history behind it, because

it’s near to where I live, and because I already had several, albeit narrow, experiences within and around the town. I love swimming and rock climbing in the old quarry on the outside of town, but I never actually liked the town proper. Based upon a few personal experiences, I had always regarded the population as a bunch of lower class citizens; the kind that may express racial slurs and stereotypes out loud in public. But what kept me coming back to Birdsboro, that is a very tiny segment of it, was the Birdsboro Steel Foundry and Machine Co., otherwise known as the Armorcast.

Since stumbling across its giant smokestacks years ago, my single minded visits there have exceeded twenty. The two photos I’ve included represent but a tiny fraction of the time and shutter actuations I’ve spent inside the Armorcast--one of the

most beautiful places I’ve ever been inside. And I know young kids with cameras love abandoned buildings, but the Armorcast was more than that. During each and every visit, an old friend of mine from back home, Dan, accompanied me, but since moving to Philly last summer, we’ve drifted apart considerably. The Armorcast, and thus Birdsboro, to me, represents the last vestige of a friendship that I have lost over time.

But the Armorcast is hazardous on many levels. Since its designation as a brownfield site, there has been increased pressure to “redevelop” the compound. It started with a temporary chainlink fence, which Dan and I would jump every time I came home from Philly, and has since progressed into a full-fledged scrapping operation. Every day, industrial scrappers tear down and drag out more and more of the Armorcast. These scrappers profit from the destruction of something which hold

both sentimentally and nostalgically.

I think everyone has a place like that from their childhood, I just happened to find mine when I was eighteen, and it pains me to watch pillagers raze such a beautiful building in Birdsboro.

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Bowmansville, PASamantha Gray

• Population: 2,077 people• Founded by Samuel

Bowman in 1820• Locations of note:

Bowmansville Memorial Park and Harting’s Bakery


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Bowmansville is a small town in Pennsylvania, located along Route

625. It was founded by Samuel Bowman in 1820, and before that the area was farmed by the Good family, immigrants from Germany, since 1737.

Locations of note include the Bowmansville Memorial Park, which includes a playground and small baseball field, and hosts Bowmansville Days, a small festival in the month of August. Other locations include Harting’s Bakery, a small bakery that has been a part of the community for around 50 years, and the Bowmansville Post Office. As the town is located by the Pennsylvania Turnpike, there is a service plaza overlooking Bowmansville that bears its name.

My inspiration for going to Bowmansville was the 19 years I spent there. I lived in Bowmansville until my freshman year of college, and hadn’t been back since. I wanted to see what

changed, and what stayed the same. As it turned out, there was a bit of each.

Certain shops had been replaced; Hometown Collectables is now a gun and archery store. The unfortunately named general store, Lices, that my brother and I used to frequent for penny candy when we were young, has long since been replaced by Ranck’s, a family restaurant. Small neighborhoods have appeared all around the town, on what used to be farm land.

Despite this, much of the town seems to be frozen in time. The baseball field is much like I remember it, only much smaller. The bleachers I used to play under as my brothers were out on the field seem so tiny now. The playground is old and simple, not the wonderlandI remember it as. The town seems asleep; I barely saw anyone out at all. And even the new places look old in a way. All the buildings have chipped paint and dusty windows. Still, there’s

personality there.

Reflecting back on my visit, I am not at all surprised that there is so little information available about this town. In many ways, it’s more of a place to drive through than a place to call home.

But the few people who do call it home leave their mark – through a baseball glove stuck in a chain-link fence, a blue handprint on a wooden support beam, or a cardboard sign inexpertly taped to a stop sign.

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Centralia, PACynthia Rau

• In 1962, workers set a heap of trash ablaze in an abandoned mine pit which was used as the borough’s landfill. However, an exposed vein of anthracite coal, a highly flammable mineral, was ignited by the trash fire, and despite firefighters efforts to put out the fire above ground, the coal continued to burn underground, and burns to this day.

• All properties in the town were claimed under eminent domain in 1992, and all the buildings were condemned. The state of Pennsylvania spent $42 million dollars in government funds relocating the residents.

• In 2009, Governor Ed Rendell began the formal eviction of Centralia residents.

• The 2010 U.S. Census calculates the population to be 10 people.


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For Small Town USA I went to Centralia, Pennsylvania. The town

itself has been deemed ‘uninhabitable’ by the state because of a coal fire that has been burning under the old mining town since 1962. Its population is a whopping 10 people according to the 2010 census, all of whom are living there illegally. The town no longer has a zip code, nor any buildings in the area save for a few residencies, a church, and the abandoned municipal building.

This place was extremely hard for me to communicate my findings photographically. Since the entire area is overgrown with weeds, trees, grass, and just general deterioration, it was hard for me to communicate the vast empty space that was Centralia. There really was nothing there of interest at all.

Before I went, I thought I would get to photograph old abandoned houses and steam coming up from the ground in every direction. Obviously what I found was not the case. However it was a good challenge for me because the lack of things to shoot in the town forced me to really concentrate on how I wanted to present what was there.

The most interesting thing that I thought about Centralia wasn’t the town itself, but the fact that you can drive through it in two minutes, and after you’re out of the town, you enter into a completely functional community with many residences, parks, businesses, and PEOPLE! It was the difference between the spaces that I found to be really comical.

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Clinton, NJKatelynn Luczkow

• Population: 2,719• Several movies have been

filmed in the town, including My Giant with Billy Crystal

• Points of interest: The Red Mill, built in 1810, was used at different times to produce grains, plaster, talc, and graphite.


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My decision to travel to Clinton, New Jersey was a rather easy

one to make. Having grown up just 20 minutes away, I am quite familiar with the beautiful scenery and the charming appeal of the boutiques that sit along Main Street. This town has always been a prime destination for my friends and I on the weekends when we went out for a late breakfast and wandered in and out of the boutiques.

When I returned back to Clinton, I saw it with new eyes. I had never really appreciated the inviting, friendly nature of the town but as I spoke with people, I began to understand why so many have settled in this area with

their families for generations. The area is safe and there is a definite sense of community and pride for the town. The people are what make this town unique and that is what I wanted to capture in the images, because you won’t fully be able to know the beauty of this town until you know the people.

As I wandered the town, I was fortunate to meet a woman by the name of Patti, who works in a leather store on Main Street. She told me that she was born and raised in Clinton and even after leaving for several years, she came back because she loved it so much. I also talked to a man who owns an ice cream shop on Main Street called J.J Scoops.

He has owned the business for 17 years and also enjoys the area. Actually, judging by the friendly demeanor of its locals, everyone embraces Clinton because of its quaint close-knit appeal.

Clinton is also well known for its Red Mill Museum, a historic building that sits on the bank of Raritan River. The mill was built in 1812 and was used to process wool, and since has been used for a variety of reasons, but today it is considered a symbol of the town.

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East Falls, PACaitlin Morris

• Population: 11,837 people

• Notable residents: Grace Kelly, Former U.S. Senator Arlen Specter, Ed Rendell, world renowned ma-gician David Farnin


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Walking the river trail on the Schuylkill River late at night,

a person can feel as though they have moved backwards through time. If it weren’t for the towering highway passes stretching over you or the Sunoco across the street, an unknowing individual might think they’ve left Philadelphia entirely.

Even before Europeans settled in Philadelphia, East Falls was inhabited. The Lenni Lenape Indians lived in East Falls, settling near the Schuylkill River where plenty of catfish and other river dwellers were to be had. Catfish used to be a staple

food in the tiny neighborhood, and catfish and waffles were at one time the namesake meal served up at inns and taverns in East Falls.

Nature has faired better for itself in East Falls compared to the rest of the city. Trees, birds and other wildlife settle close to the river as well as bikers, joggers and the occasional racecar driver. Fairmount Park and the Laurel Hill Cemetery are only minutes from anywhere in East Falls. As far as Philadelphia is concerned, East Falls is one of the smallest and oldest towns the city has.

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Elmer, NJNing Shao

• Population: 1,395• Elmer was originally

called “Cohockan,” which means “cedar swamp land” in Lenape.

• A myth about Elmer’s main street is that it was formed because there was a tavern at each end, and a path was worn be-tween them.


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Elmer is a small town located in South Jersey. Established in 1893,

Elmer has a population of roughly 1,350 people. Known as “the small town with the big welcome,” the charm and character of Elmer is self-evident. My friend, George, grew up in Elmer as a child, and although he left there when he was 8 years old, he still has fond memories of the time he spent there. People in Elmer are friendly and hospitable. In a sharp cheese shop called Dodge Market there were many pumpkins around the shop, which I assume were being prepared for the harvest. An old photo in the back of the shop tells the history of

the Dodge Market, and while the exterior seems quite similar, much has changed in the last 20 years. It makes Elmer seem as though it has been undisturbed by the outside world.

As we walked along the streets, we saw school buses waiting to pick up kids from school, people working in the farms and some families had Phillies flags hanging in front of their windows and doors.

To complete our splendid day, we went to the Parvin State Park near Elmer and finished our small town trip in a relaxing fashion. It was a great experience!

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Harpers Ferry, WVLee Miller

• Population: 286• The town was established around

1750 when Robert Harper acquired the land, he would later as the name implies, start a ferry across the river.

• Here the north and south connected, as such this was the site of many Civil War battles and frequently exchanged hands.

• This was also the site of John Brown’s raid, in which he attempted to seize guns to fuel a slave rebellion, it was here because this was at the time a major site of arms manufacturing for the Union (as established by George Washington).


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Harpers Ferry, West Virginia is on the tip of the confluence of the

Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers. On each of the facing banks are Maryland and Virginia. This town has a great deal of historical significance, far above what a small town of 286 might imply.

Ever since members of my family decided to move to Virginia when I was young, I’ve been driving past Harpers Ferry on the way to visit them. I can only remember briefly stopping in the town once, and I had always been curious to explore. Its one of the most historic towns in the country, so as former history major I was excited to spend time there.

The town was established around

1750 when Robert Harper acquired the land, and as the name implies, he started a ferry across the river. This was soon replaced by bridges, which became crucial points through the mountains and across the two rivers. Here the north and south connected, and as a result this was the site of many Civil War battles and frequently exchanged hands during the course of war.

This was also the site of John Brown’s raid, in which he attempted to seize guns to fuel a slave rebellion, and it was here that a major site of arms manufacturing for the Union was established by George Washington.

What I found was a very visually

appealing town, with an eclectic mix of lovely architecture tucked into the hill, like a model railroad display. It was there that I was reminded of my time spent living in Japan, an eye opening time in my life, where most any little village tucked into the mountains had its own rail station.

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Lambertville, NJKate McCann

• Population: 3,906• The town was named in

honor of John Lambert, who served as a US Senator and Acting Governor of New Jersey

• The Delaware River and Raritan Canal were instrumental in the prosperity of Lambertville.

• 4,000 Irish immigrants were hired to dig the canal with a pick and shovel.


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I was so fortunate to find myself in Lambertville, NJ one Sunday,

breathing in clean air and walking the quiet streets. Sometimes, being cooped up in this big city with constant movement, noise, lights and life, can get a little overwhelming. As a child, my parents would bring me into the town of Lambertsville, but I was so young that I had no recollection of this.

While driving into town I stumbled upon a farmer’s market on this vast, hidden farm, right on the outskirts of Lambertville. A volunteer at Gravity Farm, Robin Perelli, greeted me while spinning wool outside the barn with her two sheep beside her.

When I finally crossed into Lambertville, there were day-trippers window-shopping, photographing, and reminiscing along a path that hugs the Delaware River. It was a quaint town—quiet, artsy, and filled with ex-hippies—

as Gary Cohen, three year resident, described his retirement home.

The whole town just felt nostalgic to me, as if everyone there was living in another part of their lives. It hit me then that maybe I was remembering moments of walking these streets with my parents. There were gnomes peeping through windows, Barbie dolls lying amidst cigarette ash, and a flag collection box stuffed with banners that once flew.

The local eatery, Sneddon’s, was crowded with regulars, ordering their usual Sunday brunch. My waitress even recognized that I was a visitor, as she didn’t know my face.

One thing that stood out was that every local shop had a water bowl outside its door, welcoming furry friends for a drink. I don’t think I saw a person without a dog by their side.

In terms of small towns, there was a comfortable and homey feel to Lambertville that denotes a priceless slice of Americana.

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Landenberg, PAKelsey McDowell

• Landenberg is described as a post office address that covers parts of New Garden, London Britain and Franklin Township

• The population is listed as 9,829 people

• The largest fields of employment in Landenberg are those in Manufacturing, Education and Health.


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Landenberg, Pennsylvania is a small town located at the borders of

Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware. Most of the town consists of farms and rural housing. What was once a town center, is now just the intersection of Penn Green Road and Mercer Mill Road.

The White Clay Creek runs through the heart of Landenberg where part of the White Clay Creek State Park is located as well. The park is home to 37 miles of trails and spans into Newark, Delaware.

The Landenberg Bridge helps to transport cars over the creek and has been doing so since 1899. In 1999, the bridge was closed down and then rebuilt due to damage from years of

sub-par repairs. There was only one person in Landenberg for the time I was there. Jessica Miller, a senior at Wilmington Christian School, was working at the Landenberg Store. Although normally busy with locals on the weekends, the Landenberg Store was completely empty this Saturday. The store has been around since 1872 and Miller described it as a “200 year old Wawa.”

The other two buildings in the town center are the abandoned Landenberg Hotel, originally built in 1872, and the Landenberg Methodist Church, constructed in 1871.

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Lititz, PAHannah Eshleman

• Population 9,369• Kunvald in the Czech

Republic is the sister city, established June 11, 2006 during the 250th celebration of naming Lititz

• Notable people: John Fass, Johann Augustus Sutter, Louise Adeline Weitzel

• Founded in 1756 by the members of Moravian Church


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I grew up in a small town--a ‘combine four towns to make a high school’

kind of small town--so I’m quite accustomed to the tight-knit, peaceful aura that envelopes such a small place. Lititz, Pa, however, managed to surprise me.

Lititz is the epitome of cuteness, almost to the point of being comical. It’s a dollhouse town, complete with white picket fences, flower boxes and a candy shop. It smells like chocolate, courtesy of Wilbur Chocolate Co. The beginning of each crosswalk says ‘LOOK’ and there are little eyes painted inside each of the Os. American flags douse the town in superfluous patriotism. Elderly ladies in giant hats march in lines into the Tea Room, where they enjoy Earl Grey tea & lemon scones.

It’s just a delightful little place. I’m not sure if I could handle all the cuteness for an extended period of time, but it

is, nonetheless, a refreshing escape from the grit and grime of Philadelphia. The friendliness of a small town is always notable. Lititz is no different.

As usual, I was stalking an interesting character down the street. He was wearing American flag suspenders and carrying a large wooden cane, and I was eager to follow him. He stopped at a stream and as he was peering over the side two biking tourists with cameras wandered over and he immediately befriended them. They talked for a few minutes as he showed them the fish he had been observing, and after cordial goodbyes, he continued on his way. That’s a typical small town—everyone befriends anyone. Mr. American Suspenders Man, I salute you.

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Little Britain, PAAndrew Curtis

• Population: 372 people• In 1738, John Jamison,

one of the oldest and most prominent citizens, proposed that it be called Little Britain in memory of most of the settler’s mother country.


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Little Britain, Pennsylvania has been my home for over

a decade now. It is a small, quiet community with the actual town consisting of one stop sign and only a few stores. It isn’t big at all. Surrounding it are little villages that make up the Little Britain Township. The people here are pleasant but keep mostly to themselves. While I love traveling, seeing new places and meeting new people, Little Britain will always be my home.

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Marcus Hook, PAPaul Imburgia

• Population: 2,397• The borough calls itself

“The Cornerstone of Pennsylvania.”

• Marcus Hook was a major Lenape settlement that became a New Sweden trading post in the 1640s.

• The refineries became the borough’s dominant industry thanks to a convergence of rail, roads, and a deep water port.


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Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, located in Delaware County,

neighbors with the cities of Chester and Claymont. The town was originally claimed by the English based on the explorations of John Cabot in 1497, at that time considered to be part of the Virginia colony.

Today, Marcus Hook is recognized for its importance to the city of Philadelphia as a port for trade; host of a quarantine station for sailors; home to a large Sunoco refinery as well others like Phoenix Steel, Sinclair and Crown Rayon; home to professional athletes like Mickey Vernon and Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, and a source of nostaglia for those who have lived in the town their whole lives.

Citizens, forced to grow up having to look at Sunoco refinery out their window everyday, have come to project themselves as hardworking, blue collar and respectable individuals.

When I arrived in Marcus Hook I immediately noticed the way its residents expressed themselves. My great-great grandfather had started Firpo & Sons Moving, the Imburgia family business in Marcus Hook and my cousin Tommy is an elected member the Borough Council. My last name is well established in the town and I find it fascinating that I had never experienced Marcus Hook for what it is until this visit.

The best way to describe this town would be with the words of Bess Risenhoover, a 91 year-old widow and proud citizen of Marcus Hook; “We’re small but we’re mighty.”

There’s a fantastic deal of good-neighboring and whole-hearted sincerity among the community, and from the way people treat one another in Marcus Hook I could see that the entire community would agree with Bess 100%.

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Millersville, PAAngela Mayo

• Population: 8,168• Millersville began as

farmland owned by John Miller, and originally named “Millersburg”

• A crossroads for good and sales brought from the local farming communities


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Millersville is a small borough located in Lancaster County.

Founded in 1761 by John Miller, it was originally named Millersburg. The four roads that made up the 300-acre town are Blue Rock, Frederick, George and Duke. All four roads still remain, but today much of the town is taken up by Millersville University’s campus, as well as Penn Manor High School.

A small park within the college contains a pond that is home to two swans—one named Miller, and the other named S’ville.

A popular place for locals to meet is the George Street Café, full of homemade salads and baked goods; it is a place where students and professors spend their breaks daily. Also in Millersville is St. Phillips Church, although, to the locals it is known as “the round church.”

Currently celebrating their 250-year anniversary, Millersville is a town full of pride.

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Oley, PARichard Kauffman

• Population: 1,282• In Lenape Indian, the

word “Oley” translates to “kettle,” describing the formation of the mountains surrounding the Oley Valley.

• The annual Oley Fair is famous for its traditional Pennsylvania Dutch style, which celebrates the rich heritage of its inhabitants.


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I joined my father on a walk down memory lane through his hometown

of Oley, Pennsylvania during the weekend of the 65th annual Oley Valley Community Fair. As a young boy he was among the school children that helped put the fair together, and to this day little has changed. The fair features exhibits in livestock, produce and handiwork that locals put on display, some of which work year-round to be ready in time. My family and I have been attending the Oley Fair almost every year since I’ve been born, and we’ve always enjoyed the authentic Pennsylvania Dutch food.

The Berks county french fries, real honest-to-god milk and icecream milkshakes, sandwiches, and apple cider is something to look forward to all year. This year I learned that all the food is prepared by volunteers, not commercial vendors. It’s this kind of influence that gives the fair a personal and homey feel

to it, something that is never recreated elsewhere.

Vendors use the fair as an opportunity to sell wares and to promote local business. The vendors offer anything from headstones to farm equipment to hot tubs to taxidermy. Area business-owners like Luke Herzog, a graduate of Oley High School and owner of Apollo Pools, set up tents on the grounds nearly every year.

We wandered through the livestock area of the fair, where sheep are graded upon their wool, cows are judged upon their milk, and pigs are awarded upon their size. My mom stopped for a moment to nuzzle with a lone black sheep, while my dad and I watched a family load up their swine into a single trailer, no simple task indeed. It’s interesting to note the involvement of the children with the family business. Even at such a young age, the children are tasked with

many jobs that other children would not dream of being involved in. However, fun is never too far out of reach as some of the boys wrestled in the pens shared by cows.

Learning about the tasks at hand is an important aspect to farm life. The child visitors are given the opportunity to learn how to milk cows, incubate eggs, and are taught how to sort foods depending its animal or origin.

After a few loops around the fair, my parents and I left with our stomachs full. Every year builds upon the nostalgia that is the Oley Fair. It’s been a staple of my entire life, and I hope it’s something that I can share with my own children someday.

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Port Republic, NJLuis Rodriguez

• Population: 1,115• In early days, Port Republic

was known as Wrangleboro• During the American

Revolutionary War, Port Republic provided refuge to the residents of the nearby community of Chesnut Neck when the British Army sacked their town on October 6, 1778.


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W hen I told my friends I had to cover a small town,

two of them both agreed that Port Republic, New Jersey would be my best bet. They were confident in their suggestion, insisting that towns don’t get much smaller than Port Republic, so I went with it. However, I was still unprepared for how small this town actually was.

I set my GPS to Port Republic expecting to be sent to the town’s Main Street, where I hoped to find a couple of shops. That was not the case. I ended up at a fork in the road, not knowing where to go. I decided to search local businesses with my phone and after searching categories like ‘restaurants’ and ‘entertainment’ I grew frustrated, because everything was one town over. I finally found an entry that led me somewhere into town. It was called Port General Store.

I arrived to the store, which also serves as the town’s post office, and entered to see who I could talk to. The store’s owner, Mickie Cavileer, refused to be photographed but allowed me to shoot as much as I wanted to inside and outside of her store. I asked her if there was another store in the area I could go to, but she owns the only store in town. Her husband was raised in Port Republic and they have been living there together for 31 years.

She told me a little about where I could take photos and she enjoyed telling me about the Jersey Devil legend. I followed her advice and went to the fishing spot by the town limits, the beach area, cemetery and recreational fields. All of those town landmarks were barren.

The population of ducks in Port Republic outnumbers the people.

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Schuylkill Haven, PAAmelia Blanda

• Popluation: 5,500• The first settler in

Schuylkill Haven was John Fincher, a Quaker from Chester County, PA, who received a land grant of 225 acres.

• The land was developed around the Schuylkill River, which runs through the center of the borough.


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Recently, my roommate Claire and I drove out to Schuylkill Haven, PA.

Or at least, that was where we ended up. We originally left to find Summit Station, PA, a town of 204 people, yet when we arrived there, we found that “town” might not have been the right word to describe Summit Station.

We met Denise Lehman, the friendly worker at the post station (who was actually from a town 15 miles away), lead us to a ‘celestial diner’ called Vanessa’s. There, over coffee, we regrouped and asked the waitress what the next towns over were. She led us to Schuylkill Haven, a town of approximately 5,500 people, which seemed much bigger than the town I wanted to cover. However, after walking around through the narrow streets, we realized it really was an ‘Anytown, U.S.A.’

We stopped in the Downtown Tavern and chatted with John T. Morrison Jr.,

59, the bartender, who despite being from the next town over, knew a wealth of information about Schuylkill Haven. He told us to try and come back to speak to the mayor, Gary Hess, whom he believed held that title without a salary. Hess owns a local catering company and is running for County Commissioner this year.

Schuylkill Haven was a textile town, specializing in shoes. Its shoe company, Walkin Shoes, was one of the last to close as major corporations, according to Morrison, deprived the region of its industries. Now, he said, most people commute out of town for work. Still, the town is not dead, with life in the form of community events such as an outdoor movie night or the Annual Borough Day Celebration that celebrates the armed forces, highlighting local businesses with festivities and livemusic.

A friend of John’s whom we also met

at the Tavern, Jesse Celani, summed it up perfectly why people enjoy living in Schuylkill Haven when he said, “Sometimes you just want to turn off your TV and listen to the crickets.” Schuylkill Haven is a slice of small town bliss, and Claire and I plan to find our way back there some day to enjoy more of its charm.

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Shawmont, PAChris Montgomery and Diana Reynolds

• Shawmont was named after inventor Thomas Shaw, the “Edison of Pennsylvania.”

• Shawmont railroad station is the oldest standing station in the United States.


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The hustle and bustle of Philadelphia is what comes to mind most often

while traveling down the Schuylkill Expressway toward the city. Yet across the river from the highway rests the quaint neighborhood of Shawmont, located on the outskirts of Philadelphia on the border of Montgomery County.

Founded in the early nineteenth century, Shawmont was named after inventor Thomas Shaw, the “Edison of Pennsylvania”. From the 1830s up until the early 1900s, Shawmont was an important station for the Reading and Pennsylvania railroad companies. The station building is now the oldest standing station in the United States, a nearly unknown Philadelphia landmark.

Shawmont was also home to a pumping station which supplied water from the Schuylkill River to Shawmont and the surrounding neighborhoods of Roxborough and Germantown. The

pumping station closed in 1962, but it remained standing and abandoned along what is now the popular Schuylkill River recreational path until 2011 when most of it was demolished.

Across the popular recreational path from the site of the pumping station, the Flat Rock Dam crosses the river at the head of the Manayunk Canal. The dam helped lessen the severity of the floods Shawmont often experiences during heavy rains. But still, the effects of the recent Hurricane Irene were very evident on our exploration of Shawmont’s River Road.

Shawmont lies mainly upon one small road, called Nixon Street from Shawmont Avenue to Port Royal Avenue and also called River Road from Port Royal Avenue to the county line. Shawmont is able to maintain its seclusion because its main road dead ends at the county line. Because of this,

few outsiders pass through Shawmont except on their bikes, rollerblades, or on foot.

The homes in Shawmont ranged from mere trailers, to large derelict wooden houses, to Southern-style mansions, and to rowhomes. Just about all of these look designed for the beach; many backyards open up right onto the river. And as one newspaper article pointed out, there are just about as many boats as there houses. Shawmont is an isolated and unique neighborhood of Philadelphia, and despite this isolation and the potential for destructive rising waters, its residents treasure their neighborhood for the freedom and pleasure that they get from the same waters.

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About the AuthorsThis book is a collaborative effort of Dr. Trayes’ 2011 Photojournalism class at Temple University. The students were tasked with a project to travel to small towns around the United States and document the people and history of each town. It was their job to take the simplest of places and find something interesting and unique. Some students revisted their old stomping grounds while others traveled to new, undiscovered places. Regardless of where they went or what they photographed, it was evident that the sum of everyone’s work reflected the true essense of small town life. The final product that you now hold in your hands was born from combination of hard work and dedication. We hope you enjoy these pictures and small slices of hometown life.

Thank you.


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Authors

Amelia BlandaAndrew Curtis Angela MayoCaitlin MorrisChris MontgomeryCindy RauDiana ReynoldsDillon MastHannah EshelmanKate McCannKatelynn LuczkowKelsey McDowellLee MillerLuis RodriguezNing ShaoPaul ImburgiaRick KauffmanSamantha Gray

Editors

Amelia BlandaSamantha GrayRick KauffmanKatelynn LuczkowKate McCannLee Miller

Multimedia DVDChris Montgomery

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Works CitedBirdsboro, PA:

“Armorcast.” Opacity. (2009): 1. Web. 27 Sep. 2011. <http://www.opacity.us/site213_armorcast_birdsboro_steel_foundry_and_machine_co.htm>.

“Armorcast Redevelopment Area.” Redevelopment Authority Office. (2011): 1. Web. 27 Sep. 2011. <http://www.berkscd.org/pages/armorcast.html>.

“Birdsboro History.” Borough of Birdsboro. (2009): 1. Web. 27 Sep. 2011. <http://www.birdsboropa.org/History.html>.

Bowmansville, PA:

“Bowmansville.” Zip-Codes. (2011): 1. Web. 27 Sep. 2011. <http://www.zip-codes.com/city/PA-BOWMANSVILLE.asp>.

Centralia, PA:

Bellows, Alan. “The Smoldering Ruins of Centralia.” Damn Interesting. (2010): 1. Web. 27 Sep. 2011. <http://www.damninteresting.com/the-smoldering-ruins-of-centralia/>.

Huesken Jr., Gerald. “The Battle for “King Coal”: The Strange Story of Centralia.” Harrisburg Examiner. (2010): 1. Web. 27 Sep. 2011. <http://www.examiner.com/history-in-harrisburg/the-battle-for-king-coal-the-strange-story-of-centralia>.

Wereschagin, Mike. “Centralia’s last 9 residents fight eviction.” Pittsburgh Live. (2010): 1. Web. 27 Sep. 2011. <http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_679163.html>.

East Falls, PA:

“East Falls Data.” Homes Point 2. (2007): n. page. Print. <http://homes.point2.com/Neighborhood/US/Pennsylvania/Philadelphia-County/Philadelphia/East-Falls-Demographics.aspx>.

Elmer, NJ:

“The Small Town With the Big Welcome.” Elmer, New Jersey. Elmer Borough, 09 Sep 2011. Web. 27 Sep 2011. <http://www.elmerboroughnj.com/History.html>.


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Harper’s Ferry, WV:

“Harpers Ferry.” West Virginia Web. n. page. Web. 27 Sep. 2011. <http://wvweb.com/cities/harpers_ferry/index.html>.

“Harpers Ferry HIstorical Association.” Harpers Ferry History. n. page. Web. 27 Sep. 2011. <http://harpersferryhistory.org>.

“John Brown and the Harpers Ferry Raid.” West Virginia Culture. West Virginia Division of Culture and History, n.d. Web. 27 Sep 2011. <http://www.wvculture.org/history/jnobrown.html>.

Lambertsville, NJ:

“City of Lambertville.” (2011): n. page. Web. 27 Sep. 2011. <http://www.lambertvillenj.org/>.

Landenberg:

“Landenberg, PA.” Neighborhood Search. (2011): n. page. Web. 27 Sep. 2011. <http://www.movoto.com/neighborhood/pa/landenberg/19350.htm>. Lititz:

“History Downtown Lititz.” Lititz, PA. (2011): n. page. Web. 27 Sep. 2011. <http://www.lititzpa.com/>.

Little Britain:

“Little Britain Township, Pennsylvania.” Swarthmore. (2011): n. page. Web. 27 Sep. 2011. <http://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/users/08/ajb/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Little_Britain_Township,_Pennsylvania.html>.

Marcus Hook:

“Delaware History.” Altius Directory. (2011): n. page. Web. 27 Sep. 2011. <http://www.altiusdirectory.com/Travel/delaware-history.php>.

“Welcome to Marcus Hook Borough.” Marcus Hook Brief History. (2010): n. page. Web. 27 Sep. 2011. <http://www.marcushookboro.com/new_page_7.htm>.

Millersville:

“Early Times of Millersville.” Millersville 250. (2010): n. page. Web. 27 Sep. 2011. <http://www.millersville250.org/history.php>.

“Millersville History.” Millersville Borough. (2010): n. page. Web. 27 Sep. 2011. <http://www.millersvilleborough.org/millersville/cwp/browse.asp?a=3&bc=0&c=42257&millersvilleNav=|>.

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Oley:

“Oley Township.” Genealogy. (2000): n. page. Print. <http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~genphotos2/oley.html>.

“Oley Valley Community Fair.” 65th Annual Oley Fair. (2011): n. page. Print. <http://www.oleyfair.org/>.

“Oley Valley Inn closed, for sale.” Reading Eagle. (2008): n. page. Print. <http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=85561>.

“Oley Valley School District.” (2011): n. page. Print. <http://www2.oleysd.k12.pa.us/>.

Port Republic:

Laurie, Maxine N.; and Mappen, Marc; Encyclopedia of New Jersey: Rutgers University Press; 2004/2005. P. 650.

“Port Republic, NJ.” American Towns. (2011): n. page. Print. <http://www.americantowns.com/nj/portrepublic-information>.

Schyulkill Haven:

“Schuylkill Haven History.” (2007): n. page. Print. <http://www.schuylkillhavenhistory.com/>.

Steffey, R. “History of Schuylkill County.” Munsell. New York: W. W. Munsell & Co., 21 May 2001. Web. 27 Sep 2011. <www.usgwarchives.org/pa/schuylkill/pdf/munsell.pdf>.

Shawmont:

Levine, Adam. “Watershed History: Roxborough Water Works.” Philadelphia Water Department Watersheds Blog. Philadelphia Water Department, 19 May 2011. Web. < http://bit.ly/nqEZU4 >

Manton, John Charles. Bygones: A Guide to Historic Roxborough-Manayunk. York: The Maple Press Company, 1990. Print.

“Preservation of Shawmont Station.” The Railroad Network. Railroad.net, 11 Feb 2008. Web. < http://bit.ly/nF6vuU >

“Shawmont Station.” Waymarking.com. Groundspeak, 2009. Web. < http://bit.ly/pqeqzy >

“Shawmont.” Neighborhood Scout. (2011): n. page. Print. <http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/pa/philadelphia/shawmont/#desc>.

For all populations:Census.gov

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Small Towns

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