Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania, USA

Named after the Mount Carmel Inn which was itself named for Mount Carmel in Israel. The inn was opened in 1812 by Richard Yarnall and was strategically located on the Centre Turnpike (also known as the Reading-Sunbury Road or Old Reading Road) halfway between Pottsville and Danville. During the latter part of 1854 the Philadelphia and Sunbury Railroad was completed from Shamokin to Mt. Carmel, which led to the opening and development of a number of collieries in the region. During the same year, the Locust Mountain Coal and Iron Company commenced making extensive openings and improvements upon their valuable coal lands in the vicinity of Mt. Carmel, building breakers for two collieries - the Coal Ridge and Locust Mountain collieries. The township was erected in 1854, formed from part of Coal Township; by 1862 the borough was incorporated within the township.

In the past, there were extensive anthracite coal mining interests here and in the vicinity. In earlier years, the borough had manufactured miners' caps, cement blocks, cigars, shirts, stockings, etc., and large silk and planing mills, foundry and machine shops, a knitting mill, lumber yards, a packing plant, and wagon works. Currently that area supports light manufacturing in paper and plastics.

• before 1770 - Area inhabited by Native Americans (possibly Lenape, Iroquois, and/or Saponi)
• 1770 - Europeans first settled in the area
• 1772 - Northumberland County formed, area that would become Mt. Carmel located in what was then Augusta township
• 1785 - Catawissa township formed from part of Augusta township
• 1788 - Ralpho township formed from part of Catawissa township
• 1789 - Ralpho township renamed to Shamokin township
• 1805 - Centre Turnpike Company incorporated
• 1808 - Centre Turnpike opens
• ~1811 - Centre Turnpike completed
• 1812 - Mt. Carmel Inn opens, located on the Centre Turnpike in (then) Shamokin township
• ~1830s - coal mining begins
• 1837 - Coal Township formed from parts of Little Mahanoy and Shamokin townships
• 1846 - first Post Office opens
• 1847 - land now comprising Mount Carmel Borough purchased by speculators
• 1853 - town plot finalized
• 1854 November 14 - Mount Carmel Township incorporated, from part of Coal Township
• 1855 - Evangelical Grace Church, the town's first church, opens at Third & Market Streets
• 1855 - Centre Turnpike decommissioned
• 1862 November 3 - Mount Carmel Borough incorporated
• 1877 - Mt. Carmel Progress, the pioneer newspaper, was established
• 1883 November 17 - Edison Electric Illuminating Company of Mount Carmel founded
• 1894 November - Shamokin-Mount Carmel Electric Railway (trolley line) connecting Shamokin with Mount Carmel completed

Transportation

Highways

• Pennsylvania Route 61, designated from 1963 to the present, previously:
  
  • before 1911: Centre Turnpike
  • 1911 - 1926: Pennsylvania State Highway No. 161
  • 1926 - 1935: U.S. Route 120
  • 1935 - 1963: U.S. Route 122 (1940s)|U.S. Route 122
  
  
• Pennsylvania Route 54
  
  • before 1929: Ashland Road
  • 1929 - 1961: PA 54 via Ashland Road
  • 1961 - 1966: designated as PA 45 via Ashland Road
  • 1966 - 1999: reassigned concurrent with PA 61 east of Mount Carmel
  • 1999 - present: route changed to follow SR 2035, PA 901, SR 2042, SR 3002, and SR 4028 to rejoin its former route along PA 61.
  
  
• Pennsylvania Route 901
  
  • Routed through Mount Carmel Township by 1969

Railroads

• Danville, Bloomsburg, and Pottsville Railroad
• Quakake Railroad -> Lehigh and Mahanoy Railroad -> Lehigh Valley Railroad
• Shamokin Valley and Pottsville Railroad -> Northern Central Railway
• Philadelphia and Reading Railroad -> Reading Company
• Shamokin Valley Railroad
• Shamokin-Mount Carmel Electric Railway (trolley line)

Patch Towns

• Alaska (Mt. Carmel Junction)
• Atlas
• Beaverdale
• Connersville
• Diamondtown
• Dooleyville
• Marion Heights
• Merriam
• Natalie
• Reliance
• Strong

This article uses content from the English Wikipedia. Where appropriate, the content of the Coal Region Notebook is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

Postcard views of Oak Street, Mt. Carmel

View of Oak Street, facing south from Mt. Carmel Avenue

early 1900's




East side of Oak Street, between Cherry and 2nd Streets


Masonic Hall and Post Office
1940







Northeast corner of Oak and Seconds Streets


before 1913


circa 1913




1940s








Third and Oak Streets, facing North













Northeast corner of Third and Oak Streets

1920s




1940s


On July 4, 1993, a fire at the Union National Bank completely destroyed the original structure.
It was rebuilt and rededicated in December 1994.





Third and Oak Streets, facing South

1920s


The Guarantee Trust and Safe Deposit Company
was condemned in January 2008.


1910s/1920s

The Majestic Theatre occupied the southeast corner before the Guarantee Trust building was built.
The tower of the J.C. Penney Building can be seen on the next corner on the right,
and the Edison Electric Illuminating Plant is at the top of Oak Street.


1910s?

Same view as above from a bit closer in.





Forth and Oak Streets, facing South

1910s?

The J.C. Penney Building is on the corner on the right,
and smoke at the end of the street is from the Edison Plant.





Oak Street, looking North from 4th Street


1906


1910s?

Same view as above.

1920s

F.W. Woolworth store on the left





Oak Street, looking North from between 4th and 5th Streets

1940s



1910s

Schools of Mt. Carmel, Pennsylvania, USA

This page is a work in progress and will be updated as more information becomes available. If you have information about any item on this site, corrections, or suggestions, please email them.

Vine Street School

Primary School, Grammar School, & High School ?1890? - ?

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McKinley School
Corner of Walnut and 2nd Streets

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Washington High School
NW corner of Vine and 2nd Streets
Mt. Carmel High School ??? - 1930s
Mt. Carmel Borough Hall and Police Station 1980s

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Roosevelt School
NE corner of 4th and Vine Streets
Mt. Carmel High School 1930s-1950/60s
Mt. Carmel Elementary School 1950/60s - 1990s
miscellaneous tenants 1990s - 2000s
Mt. Carmel Borough Hall and Police Station 2000s - present

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Mt. Carmel High School
NW corner of 3rd and Market Streets
Mt. Carmel High School 1950/60s - 1970s
demolished ~1986
current site of Geisinger Clinic

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Mount Carmel Township High School
Locust Gap
operated from 1930s - 1960? (at least)

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Wilson Grade School
Atlas

Quakake Railroad ->Lehigh and Mahanoy Railroad ->Lehigh Valley Railroad

The Quakake Railroad was chartered on April 25, 1857 to build a connection between the Beaver Meadow Railroad (the Lehigh Valley Railroad's Hazleton Branch) and the Catawissa, Williamsport and Erie Railroad. The full line opened on August 25, 1858 from Black Creek Junction on the Beaver Meadow Railroad west to Quakake Junction on the Catawissa, and was at first operated by the Catawissa.

A charter supplement issued on March 21, 1860 allowed an extension to Delano, the headwaters of Mahanoy Creek, and down the creek into Mount Carmel, where it would connect to the Northern Central Railway's Shamokin Valley and Pottsville Railroad, which was built later that year. The company went into foreclosure in 1862, and was reorganized as the Lehigh and Mahanoy Railroad. On June 30, 1866 the company was merged into the Lehigh Valley Railroad, which had been incorporated as the Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad Company in 1846, and whose name was changed to Lehigh Valley Railroad in 1853.

This page uses content from the English Wikipedia. The original content was here. The list of authors can be seen here. As with the Coal Region Notebook, the content of Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

Churches of Mt. Carmel, Pennsylvania, USA

Churches of Mt. Carmel, Penna.

This page is a work in progress and will be updated as more information becomes available.

If you have information about any item on this site, corrections, or suggestions, please email them.

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Formerly: Grace Lutheran
Location: 140 W Avenue (South side of Mt. Carmel Avenue between Vine and Maple Streets)
Organized: 18th of May, 1855
Present structure built:
Cornerstone laid: 18th of October, 1863
Dedicated: spring of 1867
Status: Active
Notes:

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First Congregational United Church of Christ

Formerly: First Congregational Church
Location: N Market Street, on the west side of Market street between Second and Third
Organized:
Present structure built:
Cornerstone laid:
Dedicated: 23d of July, 1871
Status:
Notes:

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ZION Primitive Methodist Church

Formerly: Primitive Methodist Church
Location: N Market Street
Organized:
Present structure built:
Cornerstone laid: 1872
Dedicated: 1873
Status:
Notes:

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United Brethern in Christ Church

Formerly: United Brethren Church
Location: southwest corner of Third and Vine Streets
Organized: 1866
Present structure built: ca. 1874
Cornerstone laid:
Dedicated:
Status: Polish Cultural Center
Notes:

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Saint Joseph's Roman Catholic Church

Formerly: Saint Joseph's Polish Roman Catholic Church
Location: Hickory and Sixth Streets
Organized:
Present structure built: 1875/1866
Cornerstone laid:
Dedicated:
Status: Closed
Notes:

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First Church of God

Formerly:
Location: 129 W Second Street
Organized: ~1883
Present structure built:
Cornerstone laid:
Dedicated:
Status:
Notes:

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Holiness Christian Church

Formerly:
Location:
Organized:
Present structure built: ~1883?
Cornerstone laid:
Dedicated:
Status:
Notes: Later housed the Evangelical Christian Church. Located at N Chestnut Street?? was this: Church of God, An organization was effected in 1880, A building site on the east side of Chestnut street between Second and Third having been donated by Elizabeth Clouser, the present frame church edifice was erected thereon and dedicated on the 21st of October, 1883.

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First United Methodist Church

Formerly: Methodist Episcopal Church, First Methodist Episcopal Church
Location: N Hickory Street
Organized:
Present structure built:
Cornerstone laid: July 26th, 1884
Dedicated: September 19th, 1886
Status: Active
Notes:

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Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church

Formerly: Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Location: S Market Street
Organized:
Present structure built: 1886/1888
Cornerstone laid:
Dedicated: May 30, 1888
Status: Active
Notes: originally opened for Lithuanian emigrants

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United Presbyterian Church

Formerly:
Location: 100 E Fifth Street (SE corner of Fifth and Hickory Streets)
Organized: July 10, 1887
Present structure built: 1889
Cornerstone laid: August 8, 1889
Dedicated: May 11th, 1890
Status:
Notes: The G.A.R. Hall was the place of worship until the 22d of December, 1889, when the present church edifice at the southeast corner of Fifth and Hickory streets was occupied for the first time.

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Saint Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church

Formerly: Saint Matthew's Slavic Church, Lutheran and Calvinist
Location: 301 W Avenue (NW corner of Mt. Carmel Avenue and Poplar Street)
Organized:
Present structure built: 1888/9
Status: Active
Notes: organized by Lutherans of Slovakian descent

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Grace United Church of Christ

Formerly: Grace Reformed Church
Location: Third and Market Streets
Organized: 1886 June 14 as Grace Reformed Church
Present structure built: 1890
Cornerstone laid: 1890 March 27
Dedicated:
Status: Active
Notes: Services were first held in the G.A.R. hall on Hickory street, after which the Welsh Baptist church, corner of Market and Third streets, was rented and subsequently purchased.

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Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church

Formerly: Church of Holy Cross
Location: Poplar and Sixth Streets
Organized:
Present structure built: 1892
Cornerstone laid:
Dedicated:
Status:
Notes: originally opened for Slovak emigrants

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Saint John the Baptist

Formerly:
Location: Second and Willow Streets
Organized:
Present structure built: 1892
Cornerstone laid:
Dedicated:
Status: closed
Notes:

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Divine Redeemer Church

Formerly: Our Lady of Consolation Polish Catholic Church, Mother of Consolation (M.O.C.) Church
Location: Mt. Carmel Avenue and Poplar Streets
Organized: 1896
Present structure built: 1906
Cornerstone laid:
Dedicated:
Status: Active
Notes: originally opened for Polish emigrants

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Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church

Location: Fourth and Maple Streets
Organized:
Present structure built: 1900
Status: Active
Notes: In 1890, the church purchased the old Edison Electric Plant, which had recently relocated to the South end of Oak Street. The church contains an organ which was donated by Andrew Carnegie.

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Mennonite Church

Formerly: Ebenezer Mennonite Brethren in Christ
Location: 4th Street and Grape Alley
Organized:
Present structure built: 1902
Cornerstone laid: 1902
Dedicated:
Status: building currently used as a warehouse
Notes: the name Ebenezer was dropped at the time that conference changed it's name from Mennonite Brethren in Christ to Bible Fellowship church. Then became Bethany Bible Fellowship Church of Mount Carmel.

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Saint Paul's United Methodist Church

Formerly: United Evangelical Church
Location:
Organized:
Present structure built: 1903
Cornerstone laid:
Dedicated:
Status:
Notes:

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Saint Peter's Roman Catholic Church

Formerly: Saint Peter's Italian Church
Location: West Mt. Carmel Avenue
Organized:
Present structure built: 1905
Cornerstone laid:
Dedicated: August 15, 1906
Status:
Notes: founded by natives of South Tyrol

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Slovak Presbyterian Church

Formerly:
Location: Avenue and Market Streets
Organized:
Present structure built:
Cornerstone laid:
Dedicated:
Status: currently an apartment building
Notes:

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Saint Michael's Orthodox Church

Location: 131 North Willow Street (SE corner of Mt. Carmel Avenue and Willow Street)
Organized: 1906/7
Present structure built: 1908
Cornerstone laid: 1907
Dedicated: 1908
Status: Active
Notes: founded by Russian-speaking immigrants

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Saints Peter and Paul Byzantine Ukrainian Catholic Church

Location: 131 N Beech Street (Avenue and Beech Streets)
Organized: before 1914
Dedicated: 1994
Status: Active
Notes: The previous structure, which had been built in 1914, was completely destroyed by a fire in the early 1990s.

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The Jewish Temple

Location: S Maple Street
Organized:
Present structure built:
Cornerstone laid:
Dedicated:
Status: used as Masonic Hall Building
Notes:

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Grace Baptist Church

Formerly:
Location: 601 W Fifth Street
Organized:
Present structure built:
Cornerstone laid:
Dedicated:
Status:
Notes:

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Welsh Baptist Church.- Reverends Thomas Thomas and David Evans
organized a Welsh Baptist church in 1871, of which Daniel Evans and
Philip Thomas were the first deacons. After worshiping at a school house
near the old Reading depot eighteen months the society disbanded. A
reorganization was effected in 1879, and in 1880 a frame church edifice
was built at the corner of Market and Third streets; it was dedicated on
the 20th of June in that year, when William W. Watkins and William
Lawrence were the deacons, and Evan Davis, William W. Watkins, and John
P. Edwards were the trustees. The subsequent pastors were Reverends
Jeremiah Griffith and Richard Edwards. The congregation finally
disbanded in 1886.