Girardville ready to celebrate 175 years
BY LESLIE RICHARDSON, STAFF WRITER
- REPUBLICAN & Herald
03/26/2007
GIRARDVILLE - The home of screamers, sweet pizza and
a St. Patrick's Day parade is ready to celebrate a milestone.
According to Councilwoman Mary Beth Dougherty, Girardville
was incorporated in 1832, making this year its 175th anniversary.
Events will kick off June 3. Each activity is being
planned as a way to share the history and bring the residents and
surrounding communities together to celebrate the once thriving municipality.
The anniversary celebration is being organized by borough
council, Girardville Pride and other civic organizations.
"It is great to see the support for this,"
Kathy Centiole, a member of Girardville Pride said Wednesday. "The
donations and cooperation have been amazing."
The event lineup includes a Schuylkill River Heritage
Ethnic Interactive Display at borough hall on June 3 through 9.
"This display is a result of a five year study,"
Centiole said. "It features other towns in the region as well
as Girardville. We are very fortunate to be able to keep it here during
our anniversary week."
Residents or others interested will be able to have
their mail canceled with an official anniversary postage stamp at
the Girardville Post Office on June 4.
The stamp will feature a drawing by local artist Rosalie
Kuzma.
The historical society will host a grand opening at
its headquarters at 1 West Main St., on June 6.
The building is the home of the former Murray Pharmacy
and doctor's office.
A welcome cocktail party will be held on June 8 at borough
hall and will feature an ethnic display and historical presentation.
The anniversary celebration will be topped of with an
old-fashion Picnic in the Park Celebration in the park adjacent to
borough hall.
Many borough organizations will have food stands. There
will be rides for the children, a magician and other entertainment.
The Reading Phillies mascot will also be there.
"Girardville is entirely different than when I
grew up here," Evelyn Marquardt, borough historian, who has had
family in the borough since 1864, said. "We used to have 5,000
people, now we have less than 1,800. Almost every place was a business.
If you didn't have a store front you had it in your house."
Centiole said Girardville Pride is working with Upper
Schuylkill Downtowns to bring the borough back to its former glory.
Mary Beth Dougherty believes it can be done.
"There are so many people that love to come to
Girardville because of the St. Patrick's Day Parade and we have a
lot of potential," she said.
According to information provided by Marquardt, Girardville
was named for a man who never saw the place.
The land that was to become Girardville was part of
several pieces of land and real estate bought by Stephen Girard, Philadelphia
in 1830. Historians said that Girard was the richest man in America
at the time. He died of the flu in 1831.
Girard's will created Girard College in Philadelphia
and also provided plans for the development of Girardville.
Robert Krick, a borough council member, states that
although Girard owned about half of Girardville, the other half was
owned by Dr. Jonas Preston.
"This is why the differences in the street names,"
Krick said.
"The east end of town was owned by Girard and the
streets are numbered. In the west end of town, the streets have names
like Julia, John, Ogden and Parker. Parker Street was actually named
after Preston's brother-in-law, William Parker Folk."
Krick said when Preston died he left money to the University
of Pennsylvania and also to set up Preston Retreat, a corporation
that owned the western part of town. Ogden was one of the surnames
of a member of the board of directors.
The mining industry brought people into the Girardville
area with the first coal mining colliery opening near the future borough
in 1853 at Big Mine Run. The Hammond Colliery opened in 1887. Other
coal operations included the Preston, Kendricks, Dovey and Son, Girard-McTurks
and Hazle Brook Company. All eventually became part of the Philadelphia
and Reading Coal and Iron Company.
According to a printed history provided by Marquardt,
St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church opened its doors in 1870. The Baptist
Church of Saint Clair set up a mission church in Girardville in 1873.
The first newspaper, "The Girardville Herald,"
began printing in 1873. The first theater, The Girard Opera House,
opened in 1890.
© The REPUBLICAN & Herald
2007
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