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Workers housing and
the Catholic Church of the Eckley Historic District
Photographs by and courtesy of Pam Colbert |
The Eckley Historic
District, also known as Eckley Miners' Village, was one
of hundreds of company mining towns built in the anthracite
region during the late 19th century. The patch town, or
company built and operated mining town, provided all the
basic needs for the individuals who owned, operated, and
worked in the anthracite mines surrounding the town. Sharpe,
Weiss & Company leased land from Tench Coxe, and built
the town, between 1854 and 1874, to provide housing, medical
care and shopping for their employees. In the 1870s, 350
men and boys worked in the mines, and the town reached
a population of 1,500. During the 1860s, eight million
tons of coal were mined in Pennsylvania's anthracite region,
and mines remained active until homes began heating with
oil and natural gas in the 1920s. The 58 remaining buildings
include the mine owners' houses, the doctor's office,
47 worker's houses, the Catholic Church and its rectory.
Listed in the National Register in 1971, the town remains
a significant example of a mining community from the 1800s.
Eckley Historic District is owned and administered by
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as Eckley Miners' Village.
Eckley Historic District is located nine miles
east of Hazleton, off Rte. 940, and is accessible from
I-80 and I-81. White on brown directional signs on either
side of the town of Freeland will direct visitors to
Eckley. The Eckley Miner's Village is open Monday-Saturday
9:00am to 5:00pm, Sunday 12:00pm to 5:00pm, and is closed
on state holidays, except Memorial Day, July 4, and
Labor Day. There is a fee. Please call 570-636-2070
or visit the Village's website
for further information. |