WILLIAMSBURG
Trail & River Design Workbook
WILLIAMSBURG Trail & River Design Workbook
The Williamsburg Trail & River Design Workbook is a resource for community members, planners, local and regional government, students, and anyone else interested in enhancing the landscapes around the Lower Trail and the Frankstown Branch in Williamsburg, PA. The Workbook is not a design proposal; it is a compilation of geographic data and insights gathered between 2021 and 2023. Sources include local knowledge from Borough leadership, residents, and business owners; as well as publicly available data. This information is synthesized and consolidated into measured plans and other graphics that can be used to explore design and planning ideas visually.
One catalyst for thinking about the landscape around the Lower Trail and the Frankstown Branch in Williamsburg is the Borough’s recent acquisition of approximately 54 acres of former power company property north of downtown. While this new parcel is an important area of focus, the Workbook assumes that any proposition ought to take into account a larger vision for the landscape of the Borough and region, especially given the central location of Williamsburg along the Lower Trail and within larger recreational networks like the 9/11 National Memorial Trail and the Mid State Trail.
The plans, section drawings, diagrams, and text presented here are intended to be as widely accessible as possible, enabling anyone to test and express design ideas with some level of precision. The 11x17-inch page format means the Workbook can be reprinted at scale on consumer printers. Graphics may be used as base drawings for sketching on trace paper. Multiple scales and drawing types are provided so users can focus on different areas of interest.
THEMATIC PLANS
The first section consists of three plans of the total study area, including downtown Williamsburg and
the Robeson Extension, as well as Cenveo and new Borough properties northwest as far as the Lower Trail Grannas Station. Each of these three plans shows a different set of data based on its theme. Along with basic geography, plans include opportunities and challenges identified in planning discussions. The thematic plans are accompanied by additional graphics and text exploring the broader implications of each theme.
ZONE DETAIL PLANS & SECTIONS
The second section is organized into four zones, each represented in a Zone Detail Plan. The more zoomed-in zone plans show a greater level of detail than the thematic plans. They also show the location of a series of section-elevations along the trail and river, which are shown following the corresponding Zone Detail Plan.
CREDITS
The Williamsburg Trail & River Design Workbook was prepared by Alec Spangler, assistant professor of landscape architecture at Penn State’s Stuckeman School, with contributions by Penn State landscape architecture students Anne Lai and Elliott Kline.
Ilona Ballreich (Penn State Sustainable Communities Collaborative) facilitated connections to stakeholders including the primary community partners: Williamsburg Borough:
Ted Hyle, Mayor
Rowdy Kegarise, Police Chief
Joe Lansberry, Borough Manager
Lisa Dishong, Borough Office Manager
Rails to Trails of Central PA:
Mike Panek, Vice President and Maintenance
Supervisor
Karl King, Charter Board Member (Secretary 9/11
National Memorial Trail)
The following community members and specialists are among those who have contributed their knowledge, time, and expertise to the Workbook:
Williamsburg Community Farm Show
Arianne Waddington
Sherry Waddington
Williamsburg Community School
April Wheland
Williamsburg Public Library
Roane Lytle
Jennifer Hoffman
Williamsburg Lions Club
Trisha Radmann
Blair County
Grant Willis
Blair Planning
David McFarland
Sherry Socie
Rails to Trails of Central PA
Ed Donahoe
Allegheny Ridge Corporation
Jane Sheffield
Explore Altoona
Mark Ickes
McCollom Development Strategies
Cathy McCollom
PA Interfaith Power and Light
Greg Williams
DISCLAIMER
The Crossroad
David Cadle
BluAcres LLC
Trent Lee
Noah Wheland
Mike Biddle
Jim Foreso
Julie Foreso
Carol Ginter
Ryan Gorsuch
Elizabeth Isenberg
Jonathan Isenberg
David Kessling
Linda L. Lang
Leslie Ann Lower
Allan Overdorff
Stephanie Pardee
Stephen Parks
Regina Patterson
Cynthia Potter
Josh Potter
Pam Prough
Karyn Shaw
Lugene Shelly
...and others
No formal surveys were done to produce the content in this resource, and information provided by individuals has not necessarily been verified. Many details and measurements are estimated by sight and photographs only, and subsurface conditions are loosely inferred. While effort has been made to be as accurate as possible at an appropriate level of precision, errors and omissions may be present and are the responsibility of the author. The Workbook should be used for discussion only and not for construction of any kind.
project is made possible in part by a Faculty Research Grant from the Penn State Stuckeman School and the Hamer Center for Community Design.
Recreation & Access
The proximity of the Lower Trail and the river edge to Williamsburg’s downtown means there are unique opportunities to deliver outdoor recreation to a wide range of users. Central Pennsylvania’s wealth of natural resources is much less available to people with mobility limitations. Easy parking, paths with accessible slopes and surfaces, and necessary support services rarely align with high-quality landscapes for hiking, boating, fishing, and other nature-based activities. But relatively minor improvements to the Lower Trail and Frankstown Branch corridor can make Williamsburg a place where outdoor recreation is accessible to all.
Interventions range from the simple, like modifying gates and access points to accommodate wheelchairs and specialized equipment; to more ambitious projects like regrading sections of riverbank to create ADAcompliant boating and fishing access. Universal access can be embedded in larger habitat restoration work: Moderate slopes correspond to specific plant communities, and outboard structures for water access can be designed to improve fish habitat. New parking areas can be designed in parallel with constructed marshland to mitigate stormwater runoff. Expanded access is about attracting new users of all kinds to the trail, river, and downtown, from local residents, to area college students, to long distance hikers.
The Lower Trail is one of many excellent short-tomiddle distance walking and biking paths in Central Pennsylvania, but it is also connected to a sprawling network of state-wide and regional routes. Hikers on the Mid State Trail turn off the Lower Trail at Spring Street and walk right through the downtown. The 9/11 National Memorial Trail and the Main Line Canal Greenway both overlap entirely with the Lower Trail. Route planners are working to create and improve safe trail
connections between Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, New York, and Washington, D.C., among other urban centers, as well as to national routes like the East Coast Greenway, Appalachian Trail, Great Eastern Trail, and Great American Rail Trail.
As a midway point on the Lower Trail and one of few town centers with direct trail access between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, Williamsburg is perfectly positioned to welcome local users of the Lower Trail and Frankstown Branch, as well as touring cyclists and hikers from afar. By building up amenities along the trail that serve Williamsburg residents, the Borough becomes a more welcoming and profitable destination for non-resident use. With a strong connection to regional history and the Main Line Canal corridor, spotlighting features like Big Spring and the legacy of canal infrastructure can further expand and deepen engagement with the Borough and surroundings.
JuniataRiverRd/Rte866 JuniataRiverFrankstown Branch
Grannas Station Trailhead
Grannas Brothers Ganister Quarry
Shelter west of Grannas Station
Williamsburg at the Intersection:
Resilience & Sustainability
Like many Central Pennsylvania towns, Williamsburg enjoys recreational opportunities and ecosystem services from the local natural landscape while also facing the question of unused, degraded industrial land from bygone eras. These two conditions can complement one another in future planning. With enough commitment to continued management (already underway through local volunteer work with support from groups like Interfaith Power and Light, ClearWater Conservancy, and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation), some areas along the Lower Trail and Frankstown Branch can be recovered as robust ecological systems similar to the preindustrial landscape. Other areas have been so severely modified by previous uses that they suggest new opportunities for interacting with the natural world beyond managed wilderness.
For example, current best practices for habitat maintenance and flood mitigation suggest minimizing “hard” infrastructure on riverbanks, but existing features like old bridge abutments can provide more ways to engage with the water’s edge without further compromising bank conditions. A low-lying former power plant site with degraded soil conditions may be a more suitable site for a constructed marshland than the native riparian forest of centuries past. Constructed ecological systems can be combined with new infrastructure in a way that poses less risk to longestablished plant and animal communities, creating a net benefit for both habitat and human use. Amenities that may be accommodate in this “new nature” include boardwalks and other accessible circulation, tent, and RV sites, outdoor recreation facilities, boating and fishing access — all of which have the potential for new business and revenue for the Borough.
Williamsburg experienced several devastating floods in the 20th century. The acquisition of over 50 acres of new land upstream of the historic residential
area, much of it in the floodway, could be an opportunity to think big about flood mitigation while managing the remnants of the former power generating facility. One of the biggest questions is the fate of the nearly 100-foothigh ash waste hill on the edge of the floodplain just on the other side of the Lower Trail from the Frankstown Branch. Of course, the hydrology and the conditions of the soil in this area need to be carefully evaluated by specialists before any significant intervention, but hopefully this Workbook can help generate the right questions to ask of the site.
Finally, the Borough’s expanded property can have potential for more than recreation and rehabilitation of habitat; the existing electrical substation and power line corridors could support locally produced electricity once again in the form of solar generation. Just across Juniata River Road, the Cenveo campus offers additional roof area and open ground if Cenveo and the Borough are open to collaboration.
Grannas Brother’s Quarry has provided local resurfacing material for trail
Grannas Brothers Ganister Quarry
Grannas Station Trailhead
Grannas Brothers Ganister Quarry
Juniata River Rd/Rte 866
JuniataRiverFrankstown Branch
Electrical substation along the Lower Trail within the Borough’s newly acquired parcel
Water Resources as Park Program
NatureWorks Park, Hollidaysburg
Blair County Conservation District
NatureWorks Park, operated by the Blair County Conservation District, is a combination of recreational amenities and a demonstration site for stormwater and wetland management. At the edge of Hollidaysburg, along a tributary to the Frankstown Branch, the 15-acre site is “Blair County’s first environmental specific outdoor education and recreation area.”
Over 75% of NatureWorks Park is floodway, floodplain, or wetland, including existing wetlands designated as “Exceptional Value.” Thus, the construction of the park serves as an example of social program overlaid onto preserved and improved natural systems. The park is now promoted by the Conservation District as a living index of water resource protection and enhancement strategies, including those that can be implemented by community members in their own space.
Since much of parcel recently acquired by Williamsburg Borough is in a floodway (and all of it has a close relationship with the Frankstown Branch), projects like NatureWorks park are a helpful reference for the development of new public space that also serves the environment.
Source: Blair County Conservation District, https://blairconservationdistrict.org/ natureworks-park/ and https://natureworkspark.org/
Clockwise from above: Blair County Conservation District signage; amphitheater, photo Keller Engineers; aerial, photo Explore Altoona; boardwalk view, photo Blair County Conservation District
History and Culture
For all recorded history, the area around an oxbow of the Frankstown Branch now called Williamsburg has had a place among the most important transit corridors across the Commonwealth. Sitting in the northern end of Morrison’s Cove, a small valley near the edge of the Allegheny Plateaus almost entirely enclosed by ridges, the area around Williamsburg has always presented challenges for transportation infrastructure. At the same time, excellent water and forest resources, fertile land, and deposits of limestone and iron made the region, and Williamsburg in particular, attractive for settlement and development. Its location midway between the beginning of the broad Susquehanna Valley and the convergence of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers – what has become Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, respectively, ensured that Williamsburg would play a role in cross-state commerce.
Just as Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and Philadelphia loom larger than the communities of Central Pennsylvania today, less is known about the earliest inhabitants of contemporary Williamsburg compared to the indigenous peoples of west of the Allegheny Front, the Lower Susquehanna Valley, and the Coastal Plain who would later move to the area. The Onojutta-Haga people, from whom it is believed that the name “Juniata” derives, probably used the Frankstown Branch and the lowlands around it to navigate the valley.
In the 18th century, the Kittening Trail (Frankstown Path), first developed and used by indigenous people, became the earliest known east-west route between present-day Harrisburg and Pittsburgh used by European settlers. This cemented the area around Williamsburg as an important midpoint: the LenapeShawnee village of Assunepachla was a key way station in the 18th-century fur trade. Williamsburg is just over the Tussey ridge from the site of Assunepachla, and the Kittening Trail passed 3 miles north on the current alignment of Route 22.
Transit and trade across Pennsylvania were revolutionized in 1832, when the Main Line Canal system connected Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and Pittsburgh, and this time Williamsburg was at the heart of things. The canal route through town allowed Williamsburg to participate in regional commerce and led to the development of many historic buildings that still survive. When the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Main Line supplanted the canal, Williamsburg was briefly left out, but later branches linked the Borough to the growing rail system in time its peak of prosperity in the early 20th century, as a paper mill replaced iron related products as the leading industry.
After the loss of large-scale industry, one of Williamsburg’s greatest new opportunities may hearken back centuries to the earliest form of transit in the region: walking trails. The transformation of the old canal towpath and railroad alignments into the Lower Trail by Rails to Trails of Central PA in the 1980s links Williamsburg to a growing network of long-distance recreational trails, routes, and waterways. Again, Williamsburg is poised to be at the midpoint: connecting major urban centers and nationally recognized recreational and cultural networks, while still retaining the character of a small community in the wilds of Central Pennsylvania.
Historic District, Nat. Register of Historic Places, 1995
Significant Structure, removed
Surviving Canal Era Building Pre-1875
Surviving Rail Road and Paper Mill Era Building 1875-1944
Other Culturally Important Buildings & Structures
Grannas Brothers Ganister Quarry
JuniataRiverRd/Rte866 JuniataRiverFrankstown Branch
Grannas Station Trailhead
Big Spring, Williamsburg
NOTE: Canal era resources mapped here are adapted from Heberling, Historic Resources Survey Report: Canal-Era Resources In Huntingdon Borough, Huntingdon County, and Hollidaysburg and Williamsburg Boroughs, Blair County, Pennsylvania.
Approximate typical level of Frankstown Branch behind former cooling water damremoved sometime after plant closure in 1991
Ash waste hill, built up during coal power plant operations; topped with soil sometime before plant closure in 1991 (See ZONE 4 Sections C, D, & E)
Retaining wall and other structures remain from power plant cooling water dam (See ZONE 4 Section C)
IMPORTANT HISTORIC DISTRICT SITES
St. Joseph’s Cath. Church 1973
Keystone Flour Mill, 1910
Canal weight master’s house, c. 1830s
Public Library (formerly Presbyterian Church) 1841
Kaufman Building (stores) 1890
Hollidaysburg Trust Co. Building 1873 (removed, now a parklet)
Zion Lutheran Church 1907
Schwab Hotel 1911
Lazarus Ministries (orig. German Reformed Church) 1910
Brethren Church 1911
Williamsburg Junior and High School 1933, with later additions
Post Office 1962
Childhood home of Wilmer Stultz, aviator
Lutheran Cemetery 1837 (site of first Lutheran Church on north parcel)
Former Williamsburg Academy 1860
Williamsburg Elementary School 1941
Methodist Cemetery 1816
John K. Neff House (at Big Spring) 1830
Presbyterian Cemetery 1824
Former Blair Co. Children’s Home 1902, now part of Grace Pointe Community Church
Site of Penelec coal power plant, retired in 1991. Fences and working electrical substation remain (See ZONE 4 Sections A and B)
MainLineCanalRoute
ROBESON EXTENSION
1905-1980
and
Establishment of Haudenosaunee Confederacy by Iroqouoian language nations around present day New York State
Iroquois-speaking Susquehannock people move into Lower Susquehanna Valley region, absorbing existing communities there. Among them were likely the Onojutta-Haga people, from whose name “Juniata” is derived
Dutch establish trading posts in Pennsylvania Haudenosaunee nations expand into present-day Pennsylvania through war and fur trade with Europeans Susquehannocks ally with Maryland in ongoing battles with the Haudenosaunee Confederacy
1681
King Charles II charters the colony of Pennsylvania, granting its lands to William Penn
1675
Weakened by European diseases and attacks, the Susquehannocks are defeated and scattered by the Haudenosaunee Confederacy
Occupants of rugged areas like Morrison’s Cove/Williamsburg are less well known than those in the broad fertile valley along the Susquehanna
Charles M. Schwab opens the Williamsburg Manufacturing Company. Locally born industrialist was persuaded by local leaders to build the paper mill, which also brings electricity to some homes for the first time. Building costs forced Schwab to sell the mill to Westvaco in 1907
PRR extends Williamsburg branch line to Petersburg, connecting it to the Pennsylvania Main Line - now called Petersburg Branch
Passenger service on Petersburg Branch discontinued; freight service remains
St. Patrick’s Day Flood severely damages paper mill and other infrastructure, slowing growth along with the Great Depression
Williamsburg Farm Show Assoc. reforms and holds annual show for the first time since incorporating in 1940 U.S. Envelope announces plans for $1.5 million expansion
1960 Pop. 1,790
Led by coach Bill Casper, Williamsburg Blue Pirates win PIAA Class C basketball state championship, cementing a tradition of excellence in the sport. Baseball team wins Blair County league title, and football team is unbeaten
Conrail takes over operations of the bankrupt Penn Central Railroad, formerly PRR
1974
Historic paper mill closes; Westvaco operates newer envelope plant
1972
Hurricane Agnes floods the region, with Williamsburg hardest hit USDA Aerial Imagery 1939 - 2019
1910-20s: High-end paper manufacturing and peak of prosperity
Groups from the Algonquin-language Shawnee tribe settle in the Lower Susquehanna Valley
1754
Pennsylvania leaders try to purchase the area from the Ridge and Valley province to today’s Ohio border from the Haudenosaunee nations, despite Shawnee, Lenape, and others living in that territory. They later settle on a smaller area including Blair County but the new Commonwealth negotiates deeds to the remainder of its current boundaries by 1800. Indigenous people remain today, but Pennsylvania does not recognize any national or tribal status
1832
Pennsylvania Main Line Canal between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg (with rail connection to Philadelphia) opens section in Williamsburg, accelerating economic growth
1854
1827
1873
PRR opens branch line from Hollidaysburg to Williamsburg, boosting commerce in iron, quarry, and farm products
Pennsylvania Railroad Company (PRR) opens Main Line from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, bypassing Williamsburg. Canal economy declines and it is sold to PRR in 1857, remaining open to ship Williamsburg’s iron and limestone until 1875 1713
Groups from the Tuscarora Nation begin fleeing war with Europeans in North Carolina. Seeking refuge with fellow Iroquois speakers, in the Haudenosaunee Confederacy to the north, some will spend time around present day Blair County. In 1722 the Tuscarora become the 6th nation in the Haudenosaunee Confederacy
1789
Kittanning Trail (Frankstown Path) first used by indigenous people, expanded for use by wagons; called the “Great Road” from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh, it would become today’s State Rte 22
Colonial land acquisition in Pennsylvania through deeds and treaties 1719-1792
Displaced indigenous people flee to Haudenosaunee controlled lands in central PA
1795
Drawn by the potential of Big Spring to power milling, German immigrant Jacob Ake founds “Aketown,” later renamed Williamsburg after his son. Town is laid out on Philadelphia-style grid centered on a public square
Williamsburg Borough first incorporated; reincorporated 1893
1840 Pop.
637
1857
Already running mills and a tannery, George Neff helps form the company that built the Juniata Iron Furnace on Front St
1980
1989
Rails to Trails buys 11 miles of Penn Central right of way (Williamsburg to Alfarata) with support from T. Dean Lower.
Lower Trail is named for his late wife Jane and son Roger 1982
Conrail abandons Williamsburg freight line
Historic paper mill facility demolished 1991
Mid State Trail Association formed to maintain the 327-mile northsouth route across Pennsylvania, conceived in the late 1960s
Penelec retires Williamsburg coal power plant; it is demolished years later, along with the dam on the Frankstown Branch that had supplied cooling water. Electrical substation is retained
2002
September 11th National Patriot Trail Alliance formed to plan a memorial trail linking sites in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York; renamed to September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance in 2009
2004
The remaining 5.5 miles of the Lower Trail from Williamsburg to Flowing Spring Station, near to Canoe Creek State Park, is acquired
Allegheny Ridge releases Main Line Canal Greenway Plan
April 2022
Altoona Mirror notes the opening of several new Williamsburg businesses in conjunction with renewed interest around the Lower Trail
2011 MeadWestvaco sells envelope plant to Cenveo
C&S Family Markets closes Williamsburg grocery store
2021 DCNR opens the connector trail from the Lower Trail to Canoe Creek State Park, with support from Rails to Trails and PennDOT
“Juniata Iron District”
Zone Detail Plans & Sections
ZONE 4 PowerPlant
ZONE1FarmShow
ZONE 2 Downtown Core
ZONE 3 Riverside Park
ZONE 1 Farm Show
CoveDaleRd
ZONE 1 Section A
FEMA 1% Annual Flood Hazard Approx. 844’
Lower Trail
Juniata River Frankstown Branch
Asphalt Path (841’)
Williamsburg Community Farm Show
Williamsburg Community Center
Williamsburg Farm Show
ZONE 1 Section B
Lower Trail
Rock Outcrops
Swale
Timber Fence at Swale
Culvert (approx.)
Asphalt Path Outlet
Juniata River Frankstown Branch
(842’)
Wastewater Treatment Plant
(864’)
(864’)
Service Road for Water Treatment Plant
ZONE 2 Downtown Core
ZONE 2 Section A
Lower Trail
Asphalt Path
Remnant Concrete Structure with Outlet, Beyond Poured Concrete Bank
Maintained Meadow Garden
Timber Fence
Juniata River Frankstown Branch
(846’)
Pavilion with Picnic Tables
(847.5’)
(846’)
Juniata River
Frankstown Branch
Lower Trail
Asphalt Path Timber Fence and “V”
Chicane Entry Gate
Restroom, Beyond
Seating Area with Movable Chairs, Beyond
Asphalt Trailhead Parking Area
ZONE 2 Section C
Juniata River Frankstown Branch
Lower Trail
Asphalt Path
Timber Fence (846’)
ZONE 2 Section D
Informal
Juniata River Frankstown Branch
Lower Trail
Asphalt Path
Big Spring Stone Lined Channel, Open
Big Spring Channel in Culvert under East 1st Street and Sidewalks (Approx.)
Big Spring Channel in Open Stone & Concrete Chamber
Juniata River Frankstown Branch
Big Spring Channel in Culvert under Lower Trail
Approx. 7% Slope Leading to High Street Intersection Stop Sign for Trail Users; Vehicles do not stop Timber Fence
Lower Trail
Juniata River Frankstown Branch
ZONE 3
Riverside Park
LowerTrail
JuniataRiverRd
Juniata River Frankstown Branch
FEMAREGULATORYFLOODWAY
(844.5’)
GeneralMartinStores
FEMA 1% Annual Flood Hazard Approx. 853’
(849’)
Juniata River Frankstown Branch 3A
(848’)
(843.5’)
Lower Trail
Asphalt Path Stone Stair with Split Rail Fence Railing Dirt Path to River Access
Opening at Split Rail Fence
Juniata River Frankstown Branch
SECTION BREAK LINE
Lower Trail
FEMA 1% Annual Flood Hazard Approx. 857’
Abandoned Concrete Bridge Abutment
Abandoned Concrete Bridge Pier
Juniata River Frankstown Branch
(860.5’)
3C
JuniataRiverRoad
ZONE 3 Section D
Campus; Site of Historic Williamsburg Manufacturing Company Paper Mill
Cenveo
(866’)
Juniata River Frankstown Branch
Lower Trail
Stone Dust Path
Juniata River Road
Landscaped Berm
Split Rail Fence (850’)
3D
JuniataRiverRoad
ZONE 3 Section E
Cenveo Campus; Site of Historic Williamsburg Manufacturing Company Paper Mill
JuniataRiverRoad
Juniata River
Frankstown Branch
Cenveo East Plant Beyond
Cenveo Finish Floor Elev. Approx. (860’)
Juniata River Road
Juniata
ZONE 4 Power Plant
JuniataRiverFrankstownBranch
Juniata River Rd
Juniata River Rd
Cenveo East Plant
ZONE 4 Section A
Site of Demolished Penelec Power Plant, Fenced
Juniata River Frankstown Branch
Lower Trail Stone Dust Path
Community Maintained Native Tree Planting
Split Rail Fence with Community Maintained Bird Houses
(842’)
(852’)
ZONE 4 Section B
Juniata River Frankstown Branch
ZONE 4 Section C
(906’)
Rail Fence with
Maintained Bird Houses Damaged, Overgrown Chain Link Fence
Community Maintained Invasive Plant Clearing and Native Tree Planting
Soil-Topped, Forested Ash Waste Hill
SECTION BREAK LINE
Approx. Extent of Inundation from Removed Dam
Juniata River Road
FEMA 1% Annual Flood Hazard Approx. 859’
Juniata River Frankstown Branch
(858’)
(856.5’)
(843’)
Remnant Dam Infrastructure
ZONE 4 Section D
Lower Trail Stone Dust Path (943’)
Community
Native Tree Planting at Trail Margins
Juniata River Road
Maintained
Juniata River Frankstown Branch
“Indian Chief Rock”
Clear Gathering Area with Paths and Damaged Plaque
Graded Shelf with Remnant Rail Ties
Loose Stone Revetment (850’) (845’) (843’)
ZONE 4 Section E
(929’)
FEMA 1% Annual Flood Hazard Approx. 860’
Juniata River Frankstown Branch
(850’)
Dense Understory, No Easy Access to River
4E
References and Resources
RECREATION AND ACCESS
Regional Planning and Development Groups
• Allegheny Ridge Corporation https://www.alleghenyridge.org/
• Altoona Blair County Development Corporation (ABCDCorp) https://abcdcorp.org/
• Blair County Conservation District https://blairconservationdistrict.org/
• Blair Planning (Blair County Planning Commission) https://www.blairplanning.org/
• Central Blair Recreation Commission http://www.cbrcparks.org/
• Explore Altoona https://explorealtoona.com/
• Pittsburgh-to-Harrisburg Main Line Canal Greenway (Allegheny Ridge Corporation) https://mainlinecanalgreenway.org/
• Sustainable Communities Collaborative (SCC), Penn State Sustainability Institute https://sustainability.psu.edu/programs/scc/
• Trail Town Program https://www.trailtowns.org/
Regional and National Trails
• 9/11 National Memorial Trail https://www.911trail.org/
• Rails to Trails of Central PA https://rttcpa.org/
• Eastern Divide Trail https://bikepacking.com/eastern-divide-trail/
• Mid State Trail https://hike-mst.org/
People with Disabilities
• Americans with Disabilities Act https://www.ada.gov/
• Center for Independent Living South Central PA https://cilscpa.org/
• Design with disabled people now https://www.designwithdisabledpeoplenow.com/
• Wonders within Reach: Accessible Family Adventures https://wonderswithinreach.com/
Pennsylvania Agencies
• PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources (DCNR), including State Parks https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/
• PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/
• PA Fish and Boat Commission, including PA Water Trails https://www.fishandboat.com/
• PA Department of Transportation (PennDOT), including Pennsylvania Bike Routes https://www.penndot.pa.gov/
RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY
Regional Groups
• Blair County Conservation District https://blairconservationdistrict.org/
• ClearWater Conservancy https://www.clearwaterconservancy.org/
• Penn State Sustainability Institute https://sustainability.psu.edu/
• Penn State Extension https://extension.psu.edu/
• Susquehanna River Basin Commission https://www.srbc.net/
• The Chesapeake Bay Foundation https://www.cbf.org/
Pennsylvania and National Agencies
• PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources (DCNR) https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/
• PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/
• PA Fish and Boat Commission https://www.fishandboat.com/
• U.S. Energy Information Administration https://www.eia.gov/
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency www.epa.gov
• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) https://www.usgs.gov/
• U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) https://www.fema.gov/
HISTORY AND CULTURE
Indigenous Peoples
• Indigenous Peoples in Pennsylvania History, Penn State University Libraries https://guides.libraries.psu.edu/IndigenousPAHistory
Index of resources and information about indigenous people in Pennsylvania
• Native Land Digital https://native-land.ca/ Non-profit with an interpretive online map of indigenous territories worldwide
• Haudenosaunee Confederacy official website https://www.haudenosauneeconfederacy.com/ History of Haudenosaunee Confederacy and its six nations: Mohawk; Oneida; Onondaga; Cayuga; Seneca; and Tuscarora
• Susquehanna National Heritage Area: Susquehannock Native Landscapes www.susquehannaheritage.org/discover-river-history/susquehannock-native-landscape/ Brief history of the Susquehannock people
General Pennsylvania History
• ExplorePAhistory.com http://explorepahistory.com/ Various records and accounts of PA history, including survey of PA Historical Markers, partnered with Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Pennsylvania Historical Association, and others.
• PA Historical & Museum Commission PA-SHARE https://share.phmc.pa.gov/ Repository of all kinds of historical documents and images related to PA
• Power Library: Pennsylvania’s Electronic Library https://powerlibrary.org/
• The Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society http://www.prrths.com/ Detailed records of from the Pennsylvania Rail Road and related rail companies
Local and Regional History
• Historic Resources Survey Report: Canal-Era Resources In Huntingdon Borough, Huntingdon County, and Hollidaysburg and Williamsburg Boroughs, Blair County, Pennsylvania, Final Report May 2013, Scott D. Heberling, Heberling Associates, Inc. Alexandria, Pennsylvania in association with Allegheny Ridge Corporation Altoona, Pennsylvania (available through https://powerlibrary.org/)
• Juniata River Corridor: America’s Industrial History Project, Southwestern Pennsylvania, reconnaissance survey September 1919, Ann Van Huizen, U.S. Department of the Interior/ National Parks Service (available through http://npshistory.com/)
• Williamsburg Yearbooks: Potteiger, John F. Founder’s Day 1790 - 1965 Williamsburg, Pennsylvania. Williamsburg, 1965.; Frye, William R. ed. Williamsburg Bicentennial Book Williamsburg, 1976.; Speck, Louise ed. Williamsburg, PA 1790 - 1990 Bicentennial Book. Williamsburg, 1990.
• Williamsburg Borough Website https://sites.google.com/site/williamsburgpennsylvania/
• Blair County Historical Society https://www.blairhistory.org/
• Blair County Library System https://www.blaircountylibraries.org/
• Morrisons Cove Community Website https://morrisonscove.net/
• Penn State University Libraries https://libraries.psu.edu/ Maps and Data
• Pennsylvania Spatial Data Access (PASDA) Pennsylvania Imagery Viewer http://maps.psiee.psu.edu/ImageryNavigator/ Searchable online map interface including historical USDA aerials
• USGS topoView Map Viewer https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/topoview/viewer/ Interactive viewer with historical USGS topographic maps
• Blair County Web Map https://gis.blairco.org/apps/Parcel Viewer/
GEOGRAPHIC DATA SOURCES
Base Map Layers
• Basins and Watersheds: Susquehanna River Basin Commission
• Blair County parcel data: Blair County GIS
• Buildings and Roads: PA DCNR
• Federal Lands: ESRI
• FEMA Flood Hazard Zones: FEMA
• Historical aerials: USDA accessed through PASDA Imagery Viewer
• Historical Topographic Maps: USGS via USGS topoViewer
• PA Bike Routes: PennDOT
• PA County and Municipal Boundaries: PennDOT
• PA Public Lands: WeConservePA
• PA Trails: PA DCNR
• PA Urban Areas: PennDOT
• PA Water Trails: PA Fish and Boat Commission
• Rivers and Streams: PA DEP
• Roads, places, and satellite imagery for reference: Google
• Satellite imagery: ESRI World Imagery Layer (Maxar; Earthstar Geographics)
• Topographical contours: PA DCNR
• Topography, shaded: ESRI (World Hillshade layer)
Maps throughout this book were created using ArcGIS® software by Esri. ArcGIS® and ArcMap™ are the intellectual property of Esri and are used herein under license. Copyright © Esri. All rights reserved. For more information about Esri® software, please visit www.esri.com.
Historical map features, including Historic District and building designations, historical Main Line Canal towpath alignment, locks, and dams; and Pennsylvania Railroad alignments were based on materials, surveyed, compiled, and reproduced in 2013 Report Historic Resources Survey Report: Canal-Era Resources In Huntingdon Borough, Huntingdon County, and Hollidaysburg and Williamsburg Boroughs, Blair County, Pennsylvania, prepared by Scott D. Heberling, Heberling Associates, Inc. (Alexandria, Pennsylvania) in association with Allegheny Ridge Corporation (Altoona, Pennsylvania).
Figures cited from this report include:
Figure 7-4 (p.171) Williamsburg in 1859, from: Geil and Freed. 1859 Blair County Pennsylvania Geil and Freed, Philadelphia.
Figure 7-5 (p.174) Williamsburg in 1873, from: Pomeroy and Company. 1859 Atlas of Blair and Huntingdon Counties, Pennsylvania. Pomeroy and Co., Philadelphia.
Figure 8-2 (p.181) Juniata Division between Williamsburg and Hollidaysburg, from: Fritz, David and A. Berle Clemensen 1992 Juniata and Western Divisions, Pennsylvania Main Line Canal Special Study. United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Washington, DC.
Figure 8-4 (pp. 230-233) Canal-Era Properties in Williamsburg
Figure 8-9 (p.228) Williamsburg Historic District, from: Richards, Frederick R. 1994 Williamsburg Historic District. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. Richard C. Sutter and Associates, Inc. Hollidaysburg, PA.
Figure 8-12 (p. 237) Canal Features and Buildings from PRR Real Estate Division Survey Maps Superimposed on Aerial Photograph of Williamsburg (courtesy of History Mapping Services)
