West Branch Section Interpretive Plan
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May 2009 John Veverka & Associates Susquehanna River Trail Interpretive Site Inventory 2 Interpretive Master Plan West Branch Table of Contents page Introduction 4 Inventory of Sites Visited/Assessment Forms 6 WB – H-9 Packwood House 7 WB – H-10Dale Engler/Walker House 9 WB – H-11 Slifer House Museum 11 WB – H-12Little League Baseball Museum (Williamsport) 13 WB – H-13 Millionaire Row Historic District (Williamsport) 16 WB – H-14 Thomas T. Taber Museum (Williamsport) 21 WB – 5.8 Chillisquaque Access PFBC 24 WB – 11.4 Milton State Park Access 28 WB – HC – 1 City of Milton Heritage Area 31 WB – 15.6 Watsontown Access PFBC 35 WB – 15.9 Watsontown Boro. Access 37 WB – HT-1 Canfield Island Native American Trail 39 WB – 37.3 Greevy Access PFBC 47 WB – 42.1 Susquehanna State Park Access 50 WB – 70.8 Lock Haven Municipal Access 52 WB – 90.8 Hyner Access PFBC 56 WB – H-18 Western Clinton Sportsman’s Assoc Environmental Center 59 WB – 94.5 North Bend Access PFBC 61 WB – 97.3 Flaming Foliage Access (Canoe) 63 WB – AT-1 Bucktail State Park/Scenic Auto Tour (Rt. 120). 66 WB – 132.5 Karthaus Access (Bureau of Forestry) 69 WB – F-1 Reliant Energy Electric Generation Plant (and Dam) 72 WB – 174 Lower Witmer Park Borough Access (Clearfield) 74 WB – 185 Irvin Park Borough Access 77 WB – V-3 Curwensville COE Vista 80 WB – 187 Curwensville Lake Access (COE) 82 WB – 209 McGees Mills Access and Covered Bridge 85 WB – 217 Burnside Municipal Access (future) 89 WB – 227 Cherry Tree Borough Access 91 Site Assessment Summary Matriices 93 WB – Site x Media Matrix 95 3 WB – Site x Topic Matrix 99 WB – Implementation and Operations Matrix 103 WB – Driving Tour/Linking Route Recommendations 107 WB – New Interpretive Site Accession Form and Directions. 109 4 Introduction The Susquehanna Greenway is a place that connects people and communities to the Susquehanna River. It is an effort to renew awareness of the river’s distinct scenery and its natural and cultural heritage. The Susquehanna is a river that has been shaped by diverse groups of people providing a rich history that bridges the gap between the river as a place and a story. Through implementing and promoting the Greenway, a new realm of open space, recreation areas, facilities, and connecting trails will aid in improving the character of communities, the economic prospects of people, and the quality of life all along the Susquehanna River. The Susquehanna Greenway and Water Trail is the next chapter in this story. Managed by the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership, this project is an initiative which brings together: • Recreation-Planning • Watershed Stewardship • Heritage Preservation • Downtown Revitalization • Economic Prosperity • Opportunities for Healthy Living The Susquehanna River is an American treasure reflecting the unique peoples and places that comprise the Pennsylvania heartland. Once traversed by Native Americans and later by European settlers, the Susquehanna River connected people to the Chesapeake Bay. The region became even better connected through extensive canal and railway systems. Today, the region is laced with highways and road systems that have replaced the canals and much of the railroad use. The connectivity of the Susquehanna River Corridor has the potential to shape our future prospects in ways that we can only begin to imagine. Note: The interpretive themes and objectives for the total Susquehanna River Water Trail and Susquehanna Greenway Interpretive Master Plan, interpretive policies, and related materials are provided in the “Administrative Section” CD for this total master plan. Thus they do not appear in the West Branch Section Interpretive Plan. 5 6 Individual Site Interpretive Media and Services Recommendations - Constraints and Managerial Realities. In making our recommendations for new or improved interpretive media, or services at the many sites we visited within the Susquehanna Greenway, the managerial realities of individual site managers came into play. There were often restrictions to our recommended media options included in this interpretive plan. In discussions with numerous PFBC staff members, it was recommended not to include any interpretive media or services that would require any maintenance or other services to be provided by the PFBC as there were no staff or funding available to provide those services. Any interpretive media or services within the PFBC sites are not recommended, such as river viewing platforms or watchable wildlife platforms, due to: - Changing river water levels and potential ice flow damage. - Lack of staff to provide any maintenance services for such media. - Lack of funds for any cost sharing work. This essentially left interpretive media recommendations for such sites as: - Interpretive panels (update existing panels or add new ones). - Having the site as a stop for a self-guiding driving tour or interpretive led program. - Having site interpretation via a website experience. - Cell phone interpretation Interpretive Site Selections and initial site inventory In conducting the initial inventory of sites to include in this planning section, site selections for on-site visits were made by Greenway Staff and Regional Representatives. There was not time to visit all sites within each Greenway Section, so Greenway Representatives were asked to select for us sites to visit that had the best interpretive potential, highest visitation or other major contribution to the Greenway Interpretive Story. Recognizing that there were many sites not included in this initial planning effort, provision is made for sites to be added to this document after this initial plan is completed. A planning form for adding new sites or resources to this plan is provided, along with instructions, is provided as an appendix to this section. 7 Susquehanna River Water Trail Susquehanna Greenway Site Inventory and Assessment Form Section: West Branch Index Number: WB – H-9 Site/Facility Name: Packwood House Museum Location: Lewisburg, PA Current interpretive theme or focus: The main focus is on the Fetherston family and the history and architecture of the home. Main Interpretive Stories or topics. - Historic persons (John and Edith Fetherston) - Historic Home/architecture - Changing exhibits (textiles, Porcelain, etc.). Inventory and Analysis of current interpretive services/media: Changing exhibits – listing can be viewed on their web site. Recommendations for interpretive media/ services upgrades or additions: Interpretive Media and Services (outdoor exhibits, signs, demonstration areas etc.) and estimated costs: Interpretation and exhibits are managed by the museum staff. Due to current State budget cuts, this site may have reduced hours or be temporally closed. 8 Heritage Tourism/Interpretation Development Considerations (recommendations for general or specific additions, changes, improvements): This is one of several heritage sites in the Lewisburg area and an important element for establishing Lewisburg as an important Greenway hub site. This concept should be further developed under a Greenway marketing plan. From the Packwood Museum Web Site: www.packwoodhousemuseum.com Packwood House Museum is among the oldest log-built structures of its kind in Pennsylvania, originally constructed as a two-story log cabin between 1796 and 1799. As a tavern and hotel throughout much of the 19th century, the building served travelers in the Susquehanna Valley until 1886. In 1936 Edith Fetherston, a Lewisburg native and one of the first woman graduates of nearby Bucknell University, and her husband, John, purchased the 27-room building as a retirement home, and began to fill it with art and antiques from Pennsylvania and across the world. They named their home "Packwood" after a Fetherston family ancestral home in England. The Fetherstons had no children, and left their home and collections in a trust to create "a Public Museum for the educational benefits of all persons." John died in 1962, Edith died in 1972 and in accordance with their wills, Packwood House Museum opened to the public in 1976. Today, visitors see not only the historic building, but the Fetherstons' treasures of glass, ceramics, textiles, furniture, paintings, Pennsylvania German decorative arts, and Oriental art. It truly is a world-class museum in a small town. 9 Susquehanna River Water Trail Susquehanna Greenway Site Inventory and Assessment Form Section: West Branch Index Number: WB – H-10 Site/Facility Name: Dale Engler/Walker House Location: Just outside Lewisburg off of Rt. 15 (sign posted) Current interpretive theme or focus: Main interpretation focuses on the historic owner’s participation in the earliest Pennsylvania institutions including slavery and the Underground Railroad. Main Interpretive Stories or topics. Slavery and the Underground Railroad. Inventory and Analysis of current interpretive services/media: This site has limited hours of operation. The main delivery mode is by tour guides. For more information visit their web site at: http://www.unioncountyhistoricalsociety.org for events and other scheduling issues. Recommendations for interpretive media/ services upgrades or additions: Interpretive Media and Services (outdoor exhibits, signs, demonstration areas etc.) and estimated costs: No additional interpretive services are recommended at this time as we were not able to meet with the site staff to discuss their interpretive needs. This can be addressed in further updates to this plan. 10 Heritage Tourism/Interpretation Development Considerations (recommendations for general