Union Water Works, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Union Water Works, commonly known as Water Works, is an unincorporated community
in North Annville Township, Lebanon County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
.
The community was originally called Alger, located at a crossing of the Swatara Creek
. During the early 19th century it became a point of interest along the Union Canal
, which connected the Schuylkill River
to the Susquehanna River
. It was here that the canal company built a pumping station, the water works, to lift water from the Swatara Creek to feed the canal, which ran parallel from this point to the Susquehanna River at Middletown
. The Union water works was such a major feat of engineering, that Union Water Works quickly became the de facto name of the village as well. The canal began operation in 1828, and in 1832 a branch canal was built north to Pine Grove
to service the anthracite coal
fields of central Pennsylvania. The branch canal connected to the main canal at the Water Works Dam. The business of the canal company included the pumping station, a weigh station and toll house, several nearby locks, and the ice dam in winter. Local residents established a hotel, a general store, a grain mill, a lumber yard, a community park, and the Union Water Works Church.
The Union Canal ceased operation in 1885, and evidence of the canal at Water Works has nearly disappeared. The dam was destroyed in 1972 when flooding from Hurricane Agnes
caused the earthwork dam to break, spilling the entire reservoir into the Swatara Creek
. Today, some stone masonry of the weigh station, towpath, and nearby canal locks remain, but they are all on private property and are essentially unrecognizable to the casual observer. The former Mount Union Hotel, which became the Peiffer Hotel, is still inhabited, now as an apartment building. The church continues to serve the congregation as the Water Works United Methodist Church. The Union Water Works Fire Company, a volunteer organization, is perhaps the last link to the Union Canal era.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in North Annville Township, Lebanon County
Lebanon County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 120,327 people and 32,771 families residing in the county. The population density was 332 people per square mile . There were 49,320 housing units at an average density of 136 per square mile...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The community was originally called Alger, located at a crossing of the Swatara Creek
Swatara Creek
Swatara Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in east central Pennsylvania in the United States. "Swatara" is an Indian word meaning "Where we feed on eels."...
. During the early 19th century it became a point of interest along the Union Canal
Union Canal (Pennsylvania)
The Union Canal was a towpath canal that existed in southeastern Pennsylvania in the United States during the 19th century. First proposed in 1690 to connect Philadelphia with the Susquehanna River, it ran approximately 75 mi from Middletown on the Susquehanna below Harrisburg to Reading on...
, which connected the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
to the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
. It was here that the canal company built a pumping station, the water works, to lift water from the Swatara Creek to feed the canal, which ran parallel from this point to the Susquehanna River at Middletown
Middletown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Middletown is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, on the Susquehanna River, nine miles southeast of Harrisburg. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. The Union water works was such a major feat of engineering, that Union Water Works quickly became the de facto name of the village as well. The canal began operation in 1828, and in 1832 a branch canal was built north to Pine Grove
Pine Grove, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
Pine Grove is a borough in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the borough population was 2,154.-Geography:Pine Grove is located at ....
to service the anthracite coal
Anthracite coal
Anthracite is a hard, compact variety of mineral coal that has a high luster...
fields of central Pennsylvania. The branch canal connected to the main canal at the Water Works Dam. The business of the canal company included the pumping station, a weigh station and toll house, several nearby locks, and the ice dam in winter. Local residents established a hotel, a general store, a grain mill, a lumber yard, a community park, and the Union Water Works Church.
The Union Canal ceased operation in 1885, and evidence of the canal at Water Works has nearly disappeared. The dam was destroyed in 1972 when flooding from Hurricane Agnes
Hurricane Agnes
Hurricane Agnes was the first tropical storm and first hurricane of the 1972 Atlantic hurricane season. A rare June hurricane, it made landfall on the Florida Panhandle before moving northeastward and ravaging the Mid-Atlantic region as a tropical storm...
caused the earthwork dam to break, spilling the entire reservoir into the Swatara Creek
Swatara Creek
Swatara Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in east central Pennsylvania in the United States. "Swatara" is an Indian word meaning "Where we feed on eels."...
. Today, some stone masonry of the weigh station, towpath, and nearby canal locks remain, but they are all on private property and are essentially unrecognizable to the casual observer. The former Mount Union Hotel, which became the Peiffer Hotel, is still inhabited, now as an apartment building. The church continues to serve the congregation as the Water Works United Methodist Church. The Union Water Works Fire Company, a volunteer organization, is perhaps the last link to the Union Canal era.
External links
- Union Water Works community history and genealogy