COLUMBIA PA – Buildings that date back decades – heavy with stone and masonry details created by craftsmen of a bygone era – are being remodeled and re-purposed in portions of Columbia PA (top), a borough of about 10,000 people that sits on the east bank of the Susquehanna River, 63 miles southwest of Sanatoga.
Columbia reportedly was founded in 1726 by Colonial English Quakers from Chester County. Because the wide and mighty Susquehanna was only a stone’s throw away, the spot on the road west of York grew quickly in size from only four to dozens of families, most of whom were employed by water-related businesses.
Imposing carved rock facades, sculptured concrete scrolls (above) and carefully laid brick of many colors are evident in architecture across the borough. Depending on where one looks, however, buildings on which they can be found are in widely varying stages of upkeep. Some are well-maintained, particularly churches and those that house thriving businesses (below). Some have deteriorated significantly; broken windows and other openings have allowed weather to attack them both within and without.
Locust Street (above) one of Columbia’s primary east-west business byways downtown, is lined with storefronts that have served a successive string of merchants over the years. At the borough limits, near the river’s edge and the lengthy Wrights Ferry Bridge that carries U.S. Route 30 across the Susquehanna between Columbia and Wrightsville PA, former brick warehouses seen Saturday (Feb. 19, 2011) on Cedar Street were being renovated into new offices and shops.
Visitors to Columbia can tour a watch and clock museum, visit a former glass works, and shop in several local stores on North Third Street that specialize in antiques.
Editor’s Note: When The Post takes a road trip, its readers go too. “Travels With The Post” is a series that reports on places and activities beyond our usual coverage area, but most often within a drive of three hours or less.
Other Travels With The Post:
- Masonry Details Matter In Downtown Columbia PA
- State’s Annual ‘Fun On The Farm’ Show Opens Saturday
- Above The Boardwalk, Life Never Seen In Sanatoga
- Postcard Road Trip: Chester PA Old Court House
- Postcard Road Trip: Wyomissing PA Public Library
- Sweet Treats Franchise On Rebound
- On The Road: Area Residents Take On New York
- Garage Sale Bargains For 50 Miles
- On Independence Day, An Unlikely Lifeguard
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[...] Masonry Details Mater In Downtown Columbia PA Columbia PA is about half the size of Pottstown, but what it lacks in acreage and population it makes up for with some stunning architectural features. [...]