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Old 05-15-2012, 12:50 PM
 
2,290 posts, read 3,646,108 times
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Coudersport (pop. 2,546), located in far north-central Pennsylvania, is the seat of Potter County (pop. 17,457). The town is located along the Allegheny River, only a few miles from its source, deep in the heavily wooded Allegheny Plateau. US Route 6 passes through Coudy, a route that ties together PA's Northern Tier and serves as a popular tourist route. The town was the HQ of national cable giant Adelphia until it was destroyed by internal corruption.

Coudersport was incorporated in 1848, and boomed a few decades later as a center for logging. The trees ran out around 1910, and the town stagnated. In the 1950s, Eliot Ness spent his final years there.

Coudy gained fame in the late 20th century as the unlikely HQ of the nation's 5th-largest cable provider: Adelphia. The region saw significant population growth and development throughout the 90s and early 00s, until bank fraud, wire fraud and securities fraud toppled its economic crown jewel. Adelphia's cable assets were acquired by Time Warner and Comcast.

Coudersport is a lovely, pristine town that reminds me of Northern New England moreso than most of Pennsylvania. Its residential area is quite low-density, large wooden houses on large lots. Its downtown is remarkably well-preserved.







Coudersport welcomes you!


Potter County Courthouse was completed in 1853.


Potter County Jail




















































Adelphia completed this $30 million, 72,000 sq ft downtown HQ in 2002... just months before the accounting scandal unfolded. Designed for 275 employees, it now sits empty. This building has attracted little interest.








the mighty Allegheny






for some reason... tiny Coudersport has a massive Freemasons complex... here's the Scottish Rite Consistory


















I have no idea...






...


Austin (pop. 562) is located 15 miles south of Coudersport in southwestern Potter County, surrounded by Susquehannock State Forest. Austin grew up as a logging town. In 1911, the Austin Dam failed... killing 78 people and spawning a documentary narrated by Willie Nelson.

Austin is not much to photograph, but it interested me because it is home to the smallest school district in Pennsylvania (by enrollment/population). There are about 180 students K-12... and rapidly shrinking.













Austin Area School... so tiny










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Old 05-15-2012, 01:12 PM
 
4,273 posts, read 11,130,542 times
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Very enjoyable tour, easily the best looking Fastenal store I've seen.

Surprised some fracking company hasn't set up in the old Adelphia HQ building. That was proof that a successful organization could really be run from anywhere with sufficient connectivity, not just Reston, The Woodlands, or Bangalore. Maybe the metro suburban sprawl machine set up to trump up charges for the Rigases setting a dangerous counter-example.

I would imagine the post-Victorian future ruined home has something to do with the Adelphia crash as well. That exterior is unusually faithful to the feel of its prototype. Hopefully someone will chime in with the story.
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Old 05-15-2012, 01:26 PM
 
Location: Pennsylvania
27,110 posts, read 14,395,656 times
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Those are pretty neat, Evergrey. Do you make special trips to take photos? Or just happen to be passing through a specific area of interest?
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Old 05-15-2012, 04:00 PM
 
325 posts, read 548,411 times
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Anyone stay in the Westgate motel in town?
Thinking of staying there for a few days next week.
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Old 05-15-2012, 04:13 PM
 
4,273 posts, read 11,130,542 times
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I did a couple of years back, seemed that it was a chain that dropped its affiliation after Adelphia crashed. At that time neither special nor awful, there is some ugly commercial stuff between it and the cuter part of town pictured in this photo tour.
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Old 05-15-2012, 04:14 PM
 
Location: Philadelphia, PA
1,567 posts, read 2,964,429 times
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Very nice. Makes me want to visit.
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Old 05-15-2012, 05:57 PM
 
Location: Philaburbia
39,872 posts, read 70,554,762 times
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OMG I want that ramshackle old Victorian house ...
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Old 05-15-2012, 08:17 PM
 
Location: Marshall-Shadeland, Pittsburgh, PA
32,160 posts, read 74,107,356 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81 View Post
OMG I want that ramshackle old Victorian house ...
I call dibs!
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Old 05-15-2012, 10:53 PM
 
Location: Montgomery County, PA
16,448 posts, read 13,743,510 times
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I have ridden the stretch of Rt. 6 from Smethport to Wellsboro. Potter may be God's country but it sure is bike country too.
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Old 05-16-2012, 07:18 AM
 
Location: Philaburbia
39,872 posts, read 70,554,762 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SteelCityRising View Post
I call dibs!
Whichever one of us wins the Powerball first gets it.
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