Monday, March 5, 2012

More to Pennsylvania than the Liberty Bell

I have been in Pennsylvania for about six weeks now and have run across some photographic occasions. Sadly, I don't often photograph such occasions, but here is a collection of some of the places and things I've seen while here.
Situated on a high hill in Dushore, this church is built almost exclusively of locally quarried stone. It sits on one of the highest points in town and can be seen from anywhere within the small town.
The Cell Block in Williamsport is the old Lycoming County Jail dating from the late 19th century. After it closed, it was converted into a restaurant and nightclub. Although it looks gloomy and daunting, it is really quite nice inside.
As the sign says, this is the historic Sullivan County Courthouse in Laporte. I spent most of my time here in the records room. It was built in the late 19th century, but has been extensively remodeled and restored over the last two decades.
Traveling on US 15 into Williamsport, there is a scenic overlook that offers views of both the Susquehanna River and the town of Williamsport, seen in this photo. The Endless Mountains can be seen behind the town.
US 15 runs alongside the Susquehanna River for most of its length and offers stunning views of the river. North of Harrisburg, the Susquehanna is virtually non-navigable because of currents, rapids, and the fact that at many points the river is only a foot or two deep. Thus, it makes an excellent river for canoers and kayakers and the park service maintains campsites along the river and on some of the islands for campers.
The Pennsylvania Capitol Building seen from across the Susquehanna in Wormleysburg. Harrisburg is a fairly drab town and aside from the capitol, most of the Commonwealth administrative buildings are built in the '70s concrete bunker style. I visited the State Archives one day and got to see the dinginess and bleakness first hand.
Pennsylvania is full of historic old barns that have been well maintained by farmers through the last two centuries. This particular barn is on the grounds of the Gettysburg Battlefield and most likely predates the battle.

Pennsylvania offers some wonderful historic sites and outdoor activities that I look forward to exploring further on a future vacation to the area.

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