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Lewisburg Borough, bordered on the
East by the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, began its
origination in 1769. The town was connected with the more populated
areas of the state via the Tolpehocken Road from the south,
and by new roads that developed in the early 1800’s. On March
13, 1812, ‘Derrstown’ passed an act incorporating the directors
of streets, lanes and alleys, and the town became known as Lewisburg.
The incorporation of Lewisburg as a Borough occurred on March
31, 1812.
In 1869, the first train chugged across the new St. John’s Street
Bridge into Lewisburg. This marked the end of the canal era
and the beginning of a more sophisticated era on wheels. A characteristic
of the railroad era was Lewisburg’s appetite for worldly things:
new goods, elegant clothing and culture. This attitude also
found expression in the buildings and fine houses that were
designed and constructed during these years.
During the early 1900’s, one particular point of interest was
the introduction of street lighting. The Borough of Lewisburg
holds a unique patent on the design of its streetlights that
includes a cast iron standard with two arm lights and one top
light, originally enclosed in round glass globes.
Lewisburg was originally called Derrstown
by the founder, Ludwig Derr, But renamed Lewisburg because the
German name Ludwig when Anglesized becomes Lewis.
The street plans were laid out in 1785, and
within three years contained 17 log cabins. It was a typical
river town on the west branch of the Susquehanna, with no noticeable
growth for more
than 40 years.
Following the completion of the Pennsylvania
Canal, a dam in the river and a 5/8 mile cross cut canal to
join it in 1833 opened a new market for farmers, manufacturing
and travel.
The founding of the university, later renamed
Bucknell, in 1846, and the county seat being moved to Lewisburg
in 1856, entered the town on a new era of prosperity... and
a bawdy river town was being transformed into Victorian elegance.
In later years, the United States Middle District
Court House and the United States Federal Prison opened in 1932
which aided in the towns survival during the depression years.
Last fall numerous homes and sites in Lewisburg's
historic district were accepted for inclusion on the National
Register for Historic Places.
Representing almost every architectural style,
646 buildings were constructed between 1773 and 1910. Examples
found here are: Federal, Queen Anne, Tuscan Villa, Italianate,
Gothic, Greek Revival, Georgian, English Manor and Colonial
Revival.
The town is considered to be one of the best
preserved 19th century communities in the nation.
Lewisburg is a small Borough (approximately
one-and-a-half square miles) with a population of 5,620, based
on the 2000 available Census Data. In addition, Lewisburg remains
the County seat of Union County, a still largely rural but fast
growing County that extends to the west. Lewisburg is also the
primary commercial center of the area, with the greatest density
of persons anywhere in the County. From its earliest days, the
Borough served as the area’s commerce and service center. With
the influence of Bucknell University and well-preserved architectural
housing styles, the community is vibrant, as well as charming.
A 1995 publication, The 100 Best Small Towns in America, listed
Lewisburg as one of the day’s most livable small towns; coast
to coast.
On another environmental front, the Borough has been designated
as part of the Tree City USA recognition by the USDA Forest
Service and the National Arbor Day Foundation for the last 19
years because of its efforts to promote street trees. |
