SERVPRO Provides Professional Water Extraction in Pottsville

11/6/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO has technicians with the tools and reliability your home needs after a water intrusion.

Pottsville is a Town Rich in Culture with Homes that Experience Water Intrusions

Fall is coming to an end in Pottsville. The area is flooded with vibrant colors as the leaves change. Although the times are challenging, residents are gearing up to celebrate the holidays. This can mean diverse traditions with the many blended cultures that are in Pennsylvania. 

William Penn Founded It – Coal Kept It Going

William Penn was granted the land that would become Pottsville by Charles II.  In 1752 the city became part of Berks County. The quaint town sits on the edge of the Schuylkill River.

 In 1790, Necho Allen discovered a rich coal seam, which begins a long history in anthracite coal. Legend has it that Allen, who was a hunter, nodded off with a lit campfire. The next thing he knows, he is awakened by a large fire. Supposedly his small fire ignited a coal outcropping on Broad Mountain. 

John Pott purchased a forge that was started in 1795. It was an anthracite-fired finery forge along the Schuylkill River. The town would eventually be named Pottsville, after John Pott. In 1811, the town became part of Schuylkill County.  The town formally began with:

•   Henry Donnell, a local surveyor, laying out the town in 1816.
•   It was established in Norwegian Township as a village in 1819.
•   Pottsville was incorporated on February 10, 1828.
•   Becomes the county seat in 1851. 

Oldest Family Brewer in the US

D.G Yuengling & Son began a brewery in 1829. It is now the oldest brewery that is family-owned and continually operated in the United States. Highlights include:

•   Prohibition Period -Yuengling stops making beer, starts making “near beer”.
•   Yuengling Dairy – Created to help with income during the prohibition. Sold ice cream and other dairy products.
•   Three brews were produced, Yuengling Special, Yuengling Por-Tor, and the Yuengling Juvo.
•   In 1933, sent a truckful of Winner Beer to President Franklin D Roosevelt to thank him for repealing the prohibition.
•   The dairy folded in 1985.
•   2nd largest American-owned brewery in the US.

Business & Industry Comes to Pottsville

The Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company acquires vast amounts of coal lands. This leads to it becoming one of the most prominent and profitable coal companies in PA. The anthracite coal industry eventually died out after WW II. 

The Schuylkill River is an ideal location for the textile industry, and in 1881 the Phillips Van Heusen business was established. It was an amazing story of local folks growing the area. Moses and Endel Phillips began the business by hand sewing shirts. They sold their wares via pushcarts to the local miners. Although many of these textile companies would leave the area in the ‘70s, it allowed the city to flourish. 

Another textile business was the Tilt Silk Mill. This company imported silkworms from China and produced silk. The mill had mulberry trees in a solarium that fed the worms. Eventually, nylon stockings pushed this type of industry out, but the building is still in use today by another company.

Moving Into the 20th Century

As history moved along, so did Pottsville. Events shaped and changed the area to what it is today. Local happenings included:

•   Hosting the National Football Franchise from 1925 to 1928.
•   The Pottsville Maroons were a top team in early football history. They eventually moved to Boston and became the Boston Bulldogs.
•   Popular spot for vaudeville performers and traveling acts through the mid-20th century.
•   Pearl Bailey resided in Pottsville in her early career.
•   The city was the theme of a Laurel & Hardy film called Berth Marks.
•   Because of the “illicit” activities in town, WWII soldiers at Fort Indiantown Gap were forbidden to come to town.
•   Pottsville Crimson Tide football team is a prep football team and one of the oldest programs in the US.
•   Dial telephones were introduced in 1956.

Modern History

Centre Street was redone in a streetscaping project in 2007. The city became the Schuylkill Transportation System (STS) transportation hub for the county. The Union Station Intermodal Transit Center was built for $16.1 million. It houses both Greyhound and Trailways bus services. There are many places of interest that are part of the National Registration of Historic Places, including the Pottsville Downton Historic District and Burd Patterson House.

Pottsville is still a thriving town today. It is a culturally diversified town with a background of African-American, Chinese, Italians, Pennsylvania Dutch, and many more. This makes for exciting celebrations around the holidays. Visitors are amazed at the mix of culture that is in the area.

SERVPRO is Committed to Our Community

No matter the ethnic roots of the family, they all live in homes that can experience water intrusion. When this happens, professional help is required to mitigate the problem. SERVPRO provides experienced, well-trained technicians who not only understand water extraction but the needs of the community. It is our home, too, and we care when residents need assistance. Water restoration includes:

•   Emergency mitigation if needed.
•   Water extraction with powerful pumps and other extraction methods.
•   Drying the home with air movers and dehumidifiers.
•   Cleaning surface areas and content of the home.
•   Restoration to the residence.
•   Returning your home to preloss condition whenever possible.

Homeowners should get professional assistance as soon as possible to prevent secondary damage, such as mold. Mold can happen quickly and spread just as quickly. Water is corrosive, and if let stand, can cause severe damage to whatever it touches. 

If you have a burst pipe, overflowing dishwasher, or other water intrusions, SERVPRO of Pottsville can provide water extraction services you can trust. We are available 24/7 if it is an emergency. In any situation, we arrive as soon as possible. Contact us at (570) 622-8991. Our staff can answer any questions you might have on what we can do for you. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.