Staying Home...

Time for a change of pace!  Leaving our October 2024 road trip just for a bit, this time its all about things, food and happenings around our home in East Tennessee...truly bits and pieces.

Let me introduce you to "Gopher", our tailless squirrel and frequent visitor.  He/or she has been around for about 4 years at this point... With a typical life span of around 6 years but with exceptions up to 12 years, Gopher may be around for a while.  Without a tail, we're a bit surprised that he/she has survived this long.  Grey squirrel's tail assist in balance when moving through the trees and they also provide warmth in cold weather.  In cold weather squirrels just wrap their tails around them like a blanket while in their nests.  Will Gopher survive a protracted Artic blast?

FYI...In Europe and in Western Canada the Eastern Grey Squirrel is considered to be an Invasive Alien Species as it is displacing native species of squirrels. 

Around New Years Day, our neighbor Jane baked this lovely and delicious Rum Cake for us...and for other neighbors as well.  I'm usually not a 'cake guy' and some flavor enhanced cakes are too over the top intense for me.  However, we devoured all of this cake.  It kept well in the refrigerator and we found that whipped cream went well with it.  Not healthy but very tasty!

We do have a tendency to buy items that catch our eye, especially antique or collectible goodies.  Frequently they just sit around and look nice...but in this case Laurie's new/old cast iron corn bread fry pan was put to good...and satisfying use.

Laurie decided to make a chicken recipe she saw on-line that grabbed her attention.  It involved chicken thighs, garlic cloves, soy sauce, butter and brown sugar...served over rice.  I didn't think that I'd like it but the caramelized sauce with the chicken and rice resulted in a fine meal...and I had leftovers too!

Time for breakfast!

My breakfast creations are not as adventuresome or imaginative as Big Dude's at https://bigdudesramblings.blogspot.com/.  However, neither of us like to waste leftovers.  In this case I fried up some left over beef pot roast and cheesy potatoes, siding them with over-easy eggs and a slice of toast.  Excellent!

Another recent breakfast 'winner' was my combination of leftover breaded and seasoned Tilapia filets topped with over-easy eggs... While I indulge in my 'healthy' breakfasts, my better half 'enjoys' yogurt with granola.  Ugh!

One more breakfast just to avoid leftover waste... This time it was Guinness flavored Mac 'n Cheese with fried segments of leftover Klement's (Wisconsin) hotdogs.  This was a truly satisfying breakfast although it almost demanded a nap long after consuming it. 

Now for a bit of Mother Nature...

Laurie's Christmas cactus in her plant room, both pink and red, are doing their thing and looking good.  But, if you look out the window, you might note that something weatherwise was going on...

Shortly after taking the photo in the plant room, Laurie took this picture of our front yard looking across to neighbors Roger and Jane's home.  What is that white stuff coming down from the heavens?!

After the snow 'storm' passed, I took this photo of our front yard looking across at Roger and Jane's home.  We were snowed in!  Those who live a bit north would consider this a minor snowfall or inconvenience.  In East Tennessee it is a big deal.  At our stage and age, I can't shovel snow and Laurie shouldn't.  I know that the usual sequence is that it melts the following day or, at most, a couple days later.  

However, kudos to the strapping 18 year old entrepreneur who showed up at Jane and Roger's house and cleared their driveway and sidewalk.  His next job was clearing our driveway and sidewalk.  He'd cleared 6 driveways the previous night and after these 2 jobs, he had 10 more booked.  Some of the driveways were much longer than ours... I'm estimating that his prompt recognition of opportunity had to bring in over $1,000!  Not too bad...

Of course, our local birds are a bit like the residents...just not used to truly cold and snowy weather.  Mr. Robin looks confused...but I'm sure he was waiting for food bits to drop from our feeders.  As for the bluebirds, they were patiently waiting for Laurie to replace the ice in their birdbath with some hot water from the house...

This view from Laurie's 'plant room' shows our 2.5 inches of snow on the grill and railings and looking at the trees and bushes that sill remain after the building spree we've experienced in the last 2 - 3 years.

Early weather forecasts for our area claimed that we would have a warmer than normal winter.  Through January 16th, every day this month has recorded lower than normal high temperatures and lower than normal low temperatures...and we have an "Artic Blast" headed our way.

Now for a bit of retail humor...  

Laurie found this storefront photo on the Internet.  Love the name!  It actually is a store located in Berkeley California... This is our favorite kind of store...and that sign rivals the one we saw in front of an antique store in Georgia a few years back.  That one read "We Sell Dead People's Stuff".

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Dinner...Overnight and Then What?

...continuing with our October 2024 road trip west through Tennessee and then continuing north to Pennsylvania and then back down through Virginia...

We overnighted at the Hampton Inn in Mansfield Pennsylvania for two nights.  End of the first day and it was time for dinner.

We decided on a local dining option on this occasion...and this is Papa V's Pizzeria and Restaurant at 12 North Main Street in Mansfield.  As you can see, the decor is the basic old time small town style.  Simple...but how was the food?

My entree came with a nice side salad with mixed greens, tomato, croutons and shredded mozzarella cheese...Italian dressing on the side.  I'm not supposed to eat many greens but I yielded to temptation in this case.

We are rarely able to resist Garlic Bread with Cheese...in this case accompanied with Homemade Marinara Sauce. ($7.50) There was plenty of it and, much to our liking, they weren't afraid of applying the garlic!  Very nice indeed...

Counting the Chicken Wings, there are 12 appetizers on the menu, many of them ones you might expect.  Ones that were a little different included the Breaded Fried Mushrooms, Mac 'n Cheese Bites and the Jalapeno Poppers.  Of special note was the truly unusual item...Pierogies - Cheesy potato dumplings with caramelized onions served with sour cream.

After all that Garlic Cheese Bread, Laurie decided to have a salad as her entree.  This was her Caesar Salad with Fried Chicken. ($11.00) She did enjoy it, with the chicken helping to satisfy her taste buds.  

There are 9 salads on the Menu at Papa V's.  These include an Antipasto Salad, the Fiery Chicken Salad and the New York Strip Steak Salad. (I was surprised that Laurie didn't order the Antipasto Salad) The most unusual salad on the menu was the Pittsburgh Steak Salad.  It consists of mixed greens, chopped steak, tomato, grilled onions, banana pepper, green pepper, sweet pepper, black olives, pickles, mushrooms, mozzarella cheese and...wait for it...beer battered French fries.  Rolaids needed for sure!

For my dinner, I ordered the Cajun Alfredo Pasta. ($21.00 side salad included) There were a generous number of shrimp with the pasta and the homemade Alfredo sauce was very tasty. 

As for the rest of the menu, there were 9 other pasta dishes offered.  Plus there are burgers, subs, cheesesteaks, sandwiches/wraps, paninis, pizzas, calzones, strombolis plus sides and desserts.  It was a much more extensive menu than we would have expected. 

Papa V's Pizzeria and Restaurant in Mansfield Pennsylvania is open daily for lunch and dinner.  Phone: 570-662-2651.  Their website is found at https://www.papavpizzeria.com/. 

While in Mansfield we also stopped for coffee and a pastry at Conspiracy Coffee, Cafe and Bakery at 11 West Wellsboro Street.  We had a couple of house brews, a scone, a biscotti and Laurie bought a bag of their coffee to take home.  Good coffee!  They are on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/ConspiracyCoffeeCo/.

A lack of thorough research and a lack of interesting shops led to the realization on our second day that we didn't have a plan... So, as I am wont to do, I picked up the road map and, after a quick look and a check of the Internet, we headed north from Mansfield on US Hwy 15...destination Corning New York! 

Many years ago, Laurie and I had visited Corning New York and we had toured the Corning Museum of Glass.  It was a great museum and I'm sure it's been enhanced since our last visit.  Website: https://home.cmog.org/.

But we had never visited The Rockwell Museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian.  The museum, which is shown above, is housed in Corning's former City Hall.  It was built in 1893 in the Richardson Romanesque style, which combines both Gothic and Romanesque influences.  In 1893 the building was home to a fire station (until 1974), the city clerk, police department, city court and the jail.  It housed the city council chambers, public health department and dentist offices until 1972.  In addition the third floor included a public library and youth center.  The building was renovated and reopened as The Rockwell Museum in 1982.  

As you can see, at least one segment of the facade has been 'slightly' modified with the addition of that Bison sculpture.  In keeping with the museum's original benefactor's collections, it was created by artist Tom Gardner in 1999 and it's titled "Artemus the Bison".

Now onto some of the artwork presented at the Rockwell Museum...

This painting is by Newell Convers (N.C.) Wyeth, an American painter and illustrator. (1882 - 1945) He became one of America's best known illustrators, providing images for 112 books and creating more than 3,000 paintings.  His career took off in 1911 with the illustrations he created for Robert Lewis Stevenson's novel, "Treasure Island".  N.C. Wyeth was also the father of artist Andrew Wyeth and the grandfather of artist Jamie Wyeth.

This particular painting was completed in 1921 and rather than providing a title per se, Wyeth wrote the following: "If the woman in the wagon was scared to death at the sight of the prairie, I surely had cause to be afraid, but I was not.  I was uplifted".

Simply titled, "Landscape with Cows", this painting was completed in the late 1800s by Susan C. Waters. (1823 - 1900) Waters' early career in New York and Pennsylvania focused on portraits...the family 'photos' of the time.  Her husband was sickly and she became the primary breadwinner.  After moving to Bordentown New Jersey in 1866, and having earned the funds to allow variation in her work, she specialized in paintings of animals and an occasional still life.

A little history regarding The Rockwell Museum.  The 'foundational' works of the collection were gifted by Bob and Hertha Rockwell who operated a popular department store in Corning.  The Rockwell's amassed a significant collection of fine American art.  They honed their taste for fine art through study, travel and collecting...primarily in the American West.  Initially they displayed their collection in their department store.  They wanted to share their passion with the community and, with the assistance of executives from Corning Glass Works, the Rockwell's collection was transformed into a public museum.

This bronze sculpture was created in 1914 by Cyrus Edwin Dallin. (1861 - 1944) It is titled "On the Warpath".  Dallin was a sculptor best known for his depictions of Native Americans.  However, among his 260 works, he also completed the "Equestrian Statue of Paul Revere" in Boston and the "Angel Moroni" atop the Mormon Salt Lake Temple in Salt Lake City Utah.  Interestingly, Dallin had left the Mormon Church many years earlier but he still got the commission.  His most famous statues...or given their size...monuments, include "Appeal to the Great Spirit" in Boston and "A Signal of Peace" in Chicago.

As creative and prolific as Dallin was, he was also an Olympian.  In the 1904 Olympics staged in St. Louis Missouri, Dallin won a Bronze Metal in Archery.

This massive action packed painting measures 6.5 feet tall and 10.5 feet wide.  Titled "The Buffalo Hunt", it was painted by William Robinson Leigh. (1866 - 1955) Leigh was known for his paintings  of western scenes and he created illustrations for Scribner's and Collier's magazines among others.  The Santa Fe Railroad sent him west where he painted the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone Park.  When he died, his widow gave his New York studio to the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa Oklahoma.  

The Gilcrease Museum is home to the world's largest, most comprehensive collection of art of the American West. (Another road trip destination!) Note: The Gilcrease Museum owns 18 of the 22 bronze sculptures that were created by Frederic Remington.

In a future posting, I'll feature more of the art objects on display at The Rockwell Museum in Corning New York.  In the meantime, here is the museum's website: https://rockwellmuseum.org/.  Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by to follow along on our 2024 road trip!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Wellsboro Pennsylvania

...continuing with our October road trip through parts of Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York and Virginia.  Our next stop was Wellsboro Pennsylvania.  It had been highly touted in the on-line 'travel-verse' as one of the best small towns to visit in the state. 

The Penn-Wells Hotel opened for business in 1870, although it was initially knows as the Cone House after the owner's name.  A.P. Cone actually built his hotel on the site of a previous hotel that had burned down in 1866.  Next it became the "Holiday Inn" as it was owned and operated by a fellow named B.B. Holiday.  Then it became the Parkhurst House and finally Coles House.  A fire in 1906 destroyed the 3rd and 4th floors.  

The hotel was reborn as the Penn-Wells in the mid-1920s as the area welcomed an increasing number of leisure travelers.  Elements of the structure from 1869 have been preserved and the old time elegance of the interior includes 1920s era finishings and decor.  Note the American flag in the second photo above.  It was created for a Corning Glass Works Christmas party in 1946 with the end of WWII.  It's made up with 1,438 glass Christmas ornaments.  To learn more about the Penn-Wells Hotel and it's sister Lodge, go to https://www.pennwells.com/.

This two-story red brick building in downtown was constructed in 1880.  It is part of the Wellsboro Historic District as list on the National Register of Historic Places.  The Historic District covers 360-acres and it includes 531 contributing buildings, 3 contributing sites and 4 contributing objects.  The properties include commercial structures, churches, residential areas, a park and 2 historic cemeteries.  As happens all to frequently, the paper work that was submitted to qualify the area for the National Register has never been input into the tracking NRHP system so detail is hard to come by...

Historically, in the early 1900s, Wellsboro was a shipping point and trade center for a large area.  It had fruit evaporators, flour and woolen mills, a milk-condensing plant, marble works, saw mills, a foundry, machine shops and manufacturing companies producing cut glass, chemicals, rugs, bolts, cigars, carriages and furniture.  In 1900, there were 2,945 residents and in 1910 there were 3,183.  Today the town is home to about 3,458 people.

Note: The biggest attraction in the area is the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania.  Officially Pine Creek Gorge is a 47 mile long gorge carved into the Allegheny Plateau by Pine Creek.  It's deepest point is 1,440 feet from the rim and the rim to rim distance is about 4,000 feet.  To learn more, just go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_Creek_Gorge.  We skipped it due to my Afib issues and the walking entailed...

The Wellsboro Diner remains unchanged from the time it opened in April of 1939 at the town's busiest intersection.  This is a Sterling Diner (#388 - eighth one built in 1938 by J.D. Judkins Co. from Massachusetts.  It was originally named Schanacker's Diner.  I borrowed the interior photo from the Internet.  Located at 19 Main Street, the diner has a stainless steel exterior, a low-arched roof and pale green porcelain walls.  The owners changed the diner's name to Wellsboro Diner in the 1960s.  It wasn't time to eat yet, so we didn't sample their diner fare... The Diner is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/p/Wellsboro-Diner-100089417522142/.

I didn't find much information about this handsome United Methodist Church at 36 Main Street in Wellsboro.  The Gothic Revival style structure replaced an older Methodist Church in 1905 at the same location.  The previous building had been deemed unsafe for use in 1900.   The entrance to the church features a lintel stone from the Old Rectory in Epworth, Lincolnshire England...the original home of the Wesley family.

As in Ridgway Pennsylvania, Laurie was a bit disappointed with the number and quality of shopping opportunities in Wellsboro.  Still, she managed to find a couple of promising shops to peruse.  This Victorian style home at 15 Main Street offers two floors of antiques, collectables, gifts and home decor possibilities.  Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/p/Karens-Country-Store-100050564600457/.

When Wellsboro's Arcadia Theatre opened in December of 1921, it had one screen and it could seat 900 patrons.  The first film was of course a silent movie entitled "The Old Nest".  Having been built to show silent films, the theatre was equipped to provide the musical equipment needed...an organ, a piano and even an orchestra box.  In 1929, the Arcadia became one of the first theater in the northern states to start showing "talkies".

In 1987, the Wellsboro Hotel Company, owner of the Penn-Wells Hotel and Lodge, purchased the theatre.  With the success of television, the theatre's attendance and it's condition declined. However, in 1996, the theatre was completely renovated.  In March of 1997, it reopened as a state of the art 4 screen cinema...while preserving that classic old-time theatre feeling.  Special features now include "Dinner and a Movie" and live theatrical shows have been added and the theatre is prospering... Learn more at https://arcadiawellsboro.com/.

The Tioga County Courthouse, or at least the core building, was completed in 1835.  The architectural embellishments evident today came along much later.  For nearly a century, this courthouse was a trim but modest Federal-style 'block' built with dressed local sandstone.  By the 1920s local politicians decided that they wanted a more distinctive structure to represent the county.  Consequently, a Scranton Pennsylvania based architect replaced the two-over-two windows with nine-over nine windows.  He also added a rear wing, added a Federal-style entrance with the fan-light window and he erected the Corinthian portico with those impressive columns.  Further expansions have added to the original structure as the county's needs increased.

This red brick building at 114 Main Street is the former Tioga County Sheriff's residence.  It was built in 1860 at a cost of $10,000.  Later, until 1985, it served as the County Jail.  The structure is now the home of "Develop Tioga", "Wellsboro Chamber of Commerce", and "Growth Resources of Wellsboro".  Unfortunately I didn't capture a picture of the elm tree in at the front of the building.  It is one of the largest in existence and has been growing since sometime in the 1700s.

This is Wellsboro's "Green Free Library".  As you can see, it is not your typical small town (or large town) library!  The library was the former home of a wealthy lumber baron and banker.  It was built in 1855.  The home was remodeled by the owner's daughter in 1898 and it was named "Chester Place".  The woodwork is top notch.  Note the classic grandfather clock in the corner.  The former home also features a marble fireplace and a Tiffany window.

In 1910, citizens of Wellsboro organized a group to raise money to open a public library.  In 1911, Charles S. Green, a wealthy local lumberman bequeathed $50,000 for the incorporation of a "Green Free Library" in Wellsboro.  The owner and her heirs donated the home to the Green Free Library in 1916.  After some remodeling, the Green Free Library moved from its temporary location in a vacant storefront to "Chester Place", which opened in 1917.  Learn more at https://greenfreelibrary.org/.

The Jesse Robinson House or Manor at 141 Main Street in Wellsboro is a three-story Queen Anne style home that was built in 1888.  It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  This 5,342 square foot home, located on a half acre of land features stained glass windows and two prominent balconies.  In the past it has served as a hospital as well as home for several owners.  Currently it serves as a residence and dentist office.

This eye-catching Italianate home at 140 Main Street in Wellsboro was built ca 1850.  It's known as the "Lincoln Door House".  That red front door of the residence is purported to have been a gift from Abraham Lincoln to Dr. and Mrs. J.H. Shearer when they purchased the home in 1858.  Allegedly the door came from a building in Springfield Illinois.  It is well documented that the Shearers were close friends with Lincoln when they lived in Springfield.  While no one has been able to document the door's origins, it certainly may be a true story...

Laurie would have loved to browse through this shop at 6 East Avenue in Wellsboro!  She's always been interested in the possibilities of the supernatural.  Unfortunately, "Enchanted Hollow" was closed when we stopped by. (Probably fortunate for my wallet!) In any case, Enchanted Hollow sells, crystals, oils, incense or witch balls and they say that they have "your Faery, Witchy and Angel needs all covered".  You can check this store out at http://www.enchanted-hollow.com/.

As we rolled east out of Wellsboro toward Mansfield Pennsylvania, Laurie got lucky when we spotted The Farmer's Daughters Antiques and Gifts shop along US Hwy 6.  They offer lodge and cabin decor, antiques, re-purposed furniture, unique lighting and (unfortunately for me) candles...as well as a year-round Christmas room.  After helping the local economy at Farmer's Daughters, we headed down our final stretch of highway to our overnight stay in Mansfield.  For more about this shop, go to https://www.thefarmersdaughtersshop.com/.  

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Heading East Across North Central Pennsylvania...

 ...continuing with our October road trip, after leaving Ridgway Pennsylvania, we followed US Hwy 219 north and then picked up US Hwy 6 toward Wellsboro and Mansfield.  Of course we were bound to come across some history and architecture along the way.

                          

The next town that we came to that grabbed my attention was Smethport Pennsylvania.  William Halsey Wood, who is well known for designing dozens of churches across the USA and even in China, designed this spectacular church.  Saint Luke's Episcopal Church was designed with the 14th Century English Gothic style in mind.  This church was completed in 1892 and it has survived in near pristine condition.

St. Luke's Gothic ornate design continues inside the church as well.  This is a view from the area of the altar toward the front entrance.

This view of St. Luke's church from a postcard sent in 1907 shows the scope of the entire complex.

To learn more about William Halsey Wood and his spectacular church designs, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Halsey_Wood.

                         

This very imposing structure is the McKean County Courthouse in Smethport Pennsylvania.  It isn't as old as it first appears.  Courthouses in McKean County have had a tough time.  This is the fourth courthouse in the county.  With its six Ionic columns and that cupola, it was completed in 1942.  Its only a little over 60 years old.

 

The first courthouse in the county was built in 1826 and then it was replaced by a larger structure in 1851.  In 1880 it was decided that a larger structure was needed and the third courthouse was completed in 1881.  It lasted for almost 60 years but then it was destroyed by a fire in 1940.  Fortunately most of the McKean County records were saved.  That ill-fated third courthouse is shown above in photos I found on the Internet...before and after.  

Dutch land investors founded Smethport in 1807.  They'd purchased a large tract of land from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  The town was named in honor of a Dutch banking family, the De Smeths, who had financed the land investments.  The lowest temperature ever recorded in Pennsylvania was at Smethport in January of 1904.  It got down to -42F.  In July of 1942, a storm produced over 30 inches of rain in less than 5 hours.

                             

Moving east along US Hwy 6, the next town we stopped to take a look at was Coudersport Pennsylvania.  This is the former Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad Depot.  This short line railroad operated in Potter and McKean Counties between 1882 and 1964.  Originally a 3 foot narrow gauge railroad, it was converted to standard gauge (4 feet 8.5 inches) in 1889.  The railroad prospered with a lumber boom that ended in the early 1900s.  It was purchased by the Wellsville, Addison and Galeton Railroad in 1964 but the line was eventually abandoned in 1970.

The Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad began construction on their new brick and sandstone depot in Coudersport in 1899, opening it for business in January 1900.  The population of Coudersport more than doubled from 1890 to 1900, increasing from 1,525 to 3,217.  The estimated population in 2021 was 2,351.  The completion of this handsome red brick station in 1900 was a much-heralded event.

Coudersport purchased the station in 1975 and then they restored it.  It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.  It currently serves as the police station and as an office building for local government.  It is the only remaining building left from the Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad.

The passenger rail car shown above is located at the Coudersport Arboretum which is adjacent to the old Coudersport railway depot.  The local Lions Club purchased the rail car from the former Knox and Kane Railroad, saving it from the scrap heap.  That railroad was a short line railway that went from a freight transfer function to a freight and tourist line...eventually closing altogether.  The passenger car was probably a Long Island Railroad commuter car.  The Arboretum also features an old caboose and it serves as a music venue as well.  Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/people/Coudersport-Arboretum-Association/100071173741302/.

One tourist attraction of note in Coudersport is the Eliot Ness Museum.  Celebrating the career of Ness, the famous American Prohibition Agent who assembled a team labeled the "Untouchables" by the press.  Ness and his team went after Al Capone and his bootlegging operations in the Midwest.  

The museum, located in 2 buildings, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, features antique cars and trucks as well as many exhibits that are designed to learn about the historic allure surrounding Eliot Ness and his team.  The structures were built after a devastating fire that destroyed much of downtown Coudersport in 1880. The building at the right apparently originally served as a hardware store.  To learn more about the museum, go to 

https://www.eliotnessmuseum.org/.

Eliot Ness was born in Chicago and he graduated from the University of Chicago.  So, what was his connection with Coudersport Pennsylvania?  To make a long story short, after 1951, in order to make a living, he worked as a bookstore clerk, and a wholesaler...of electronics parts and frozen hamburger patties.  In 1956, accompanied by his 3rd wife, he went to work for a startup company in Coudersport that supposedly had developed a new method of Watermarking official documents to prevent counterfeiting.  The company had misrepresented its 'process' and Ness spent much of his free time in a local bar recounting stories from his law enforcement career.  He was nearly penniless when he died.  Learn more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliot_Ness.

The old Potter County Jail in Coudersport Pennsylvania is brutal looking but by the standards of the time when it was built, its a straight-forward building lacking the embellishments many such structures had at the time.   Missing are the 'battlements and Gothic 'decor' that were so popular.  This jail was built ca. 1835.

The local community had been so angry over the cost of the new courthouse that apparently the jail was built from stone that was salvaged from the old courthouse.  The 20 foot high walls of the exercise yards on both sides of the jail were constructed with a greenish hued stone.  I was unable to discover what the old jail is being used for as it has been replaced with a modern facility.

The Potter County Courthouse is referred to locally as the "jewel of Coudersport".  The lower two floors of the building were designed in the Greek Revival style and they were completed in 1853.  The gabled upper portion is quite picturesque and it was added in 1888.  The statue of Justice is quite unusual in that she lacks the the traditional blindfold.  A copy of the original statue tops the structure while the original is on display inside the courthouse.  Between 1933 and 1934, the Depression Era Civil Works Administration strengthened the foundation and excavated the basement to create more office space.

The Coudersport Historic District encompassed 73 contribution buildings.  Most of them were built soon after the 1880 fire that destroyed most of the commercial district.  The fire was driven by high winds and it threatened the courthouse too.  As a result of the fire, new building codes required that commercial structures had to be constructed using bricks.  The fire took place on May 18, 1880.  By July 27th, a local brick factory was up and running, capable of producing 10,000 bricks a day.

The first building shown above is home to a couple of quasi governmental operations, the Potter County Domestic Relations office and the Chamber of Commerce/Artisan's Center.  In the middle one can shop at "Always in Bloom", a flower and gift shop.

The second building above is occupied by Cornerstone Abstract and Settlement as well as Acker and Larson P.C., Attorneys.  A Masonic symbol adorns the top of the building.  Apparently, this structure served as a Masonic Temple until the early 1900s when the Coudersport Consistory became a key center for Masons in Pennsylvania.  The Consistory has over 3,000 members as compared to the population of Coudersport with an estimated population of 2,351.  

FYI, Coudersport was named for Jean Samuel Coudere, a Dutch banker who loaned money to the Ceres Land Company of Philadelphia for their Pennsylvania land acquisitions.  Ceres also donated the land that the city was built on.  Lumbering was the dominant industry in the area for over 100 years.

                              

Following our stop in Coudersport, we continued our drive east along US Hwy 6 toward Wellsboro and our 2-night layover at Mansfield.  There was plenty of fine scenery along our route, although I could have done without that Quality Inn sign way off in the deep center of the second photo…

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave