To join our Facebook Page :CLICK HERE

To read the Johnstown Tribune - World War II Collection: CLICK HERE

 To read thru our old Johnstown Newspaper Collection - CLICK HERE

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Central Park - 1894

The above view of Central Park was taken in 1894 and shows the buildings then located along Park Place with the GAR Hall at the far right. The large house on the left hand side (with porches on the first and second floor) was later torn down to make room for the Pythian Temple or as it is now known, the Park Building. The house was the residence of Dr. Webster Lowman who was a captain in the Civil War. His father, John Lowman was also a doctor. Webster's son. John, was also a well known doctor who practiced in Johnstown until the late 1920's. Dr, Webster Lowman's office was the small building to the right of the house.
The building on the extreme left was the Jordan Building (with the first YMCA located on the second floor). It was located at the corner of Main and Park Place. The spot was later occupied by the W.T. Grant Store. The large house next to the GAR Hall was the residence of John Fulton, the General Manager of Cambria Iron.

1 comment:

Jeanette Pitcher said...

Question, is the road that ran in front of the row of houses Locust and would Market Street be on the left? Is that corner Lot 64 of the original Johnstown street plan> if so my ancestor build a house there around 1837. Robert P Linton and John Matthews bought 1/2 of the lot (which may or may not mean half of the city block) and Robert P Linton bought 1/2 of the lot which he split with Archibald Matthews in 1837.
Robert P Linton lived there and married his second wife Ruth Buchanan in 1848 and sold part of it in 1850.
By my calculations John Matthews lived on the corner of Locust and Franklin 1837 to about 1854. Robert P Matthews lived there about the same time. A news article describes the Linton residence in a Sherriff's notice in 1852. The call him by his father's name John.
John Linton home being sold in Sherriff's sale 1852 for suit by Harvey Childs and Asa P Childs, trading under the firm of Childs & Co. His lot is described in the new paper notice as "facing public square, adjoining the lots of John Matthews and George S. King. It has a two story frame house and frame kitchen attached, now occupied by John Linton. this is probably John Park Linton the 21 year old son of Robert Park Linton.
During the Boom years Robert Linton invested in all sorts of risky business ventures. John Matthews did his share of investing too.
CAN ANYONE TELL ME ABOUT THE VIEW OF THIS PHOTO?