Brookville boasts history
BROOKVILLE, Jefferson County — A 90-acre historic district, miniature railroad and national forest are among tourist attractions in and around Brookville.
The city's Main Street Revitalization Project has resulted in restored Victorian buildings, residential and commercial.
A self-guided walking tour is available from merchants on Main Street as nearly 300 buildings constructed between 1830 and 1930 have been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1984.
"The downtown revitalization project helped restore a lot of history here,"former Brookville Main Street manager David Taylor said. "The buildings really do take people back in time.
"Brookville was one of the first cities the Pennsylvania committee selected under its revitalization plan in 1982. Butler was one of the first selected as well."
The Jefferson County History Center — located across the street from the Chamber of Commerce on Main Street — was built in the 1870s and houses a miniature railroad originally started by Charles Bowdish in the 1920s.
The original Bowdish miniature railroad grew so large that it was moved to the Buhl Planetarium in Pittsburgh during the 1950s.
"That Bowdish railroad is one of the most frequented tourist attractions in this area,"Taylor said.
Cook Forest and Clear Creek State Parks are 25 minutes from Brookville and offer cabin rentals, horseback riding, canoeing, hiking and bicycle trails.
The original Jefferson County Courthouse was built between 1830 and 1832. The courthouse and jail were razed in 1866 for a new courthouse that was completed in 1869. A three-story west wing was added in 1927.
"There is a lot of history in that building alone, and we have numerous antique shops,"Taylor said.
Brookville area tourism attractions also include:
n The Jefferson County Historical and Genealogical Society, on Jefferson Street, is open 2 to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays at no charge and features Victorian furnishings and Civil War artifacts.
• The Bowdish Model Railroad Sound and Light Show starts at 6:30 p.m. the first Friday of each month, lasts 30 minutes and repeats at 8 p.m.
• The third annual Antique Firearms & Indian Artifacts Show takes place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 16 at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. Call 814-849-0077 for details on all of these attractions.
• The Hazen Flea Market is five miles from Brookville and is held the first Saturday and Sunday of September and October, drawing more than 10,000 visitors.
Call the Brookville Area Chamber of Commerce at 814-849-8448 for details on the flea market, Cook Forest and Clear Creek State Parks.
