Lowber

The town of Lowber (the town was first called Blackburn) is located on a terrace above Sewickley Creek north of its confluence with the Youghiogheny River. The town consists of a church, school, and four sections of company-built houses. Most of the houses are between First and Fourth streets; This includes fourteen double houses along a V-shaped section of the street and approximately sixteen double houses along three parallel streets. They are two-story wood-frame dwellings with gable roofs and double brick chimneys. Along Steadman Street is a row of ten single-family houses. These are two-story wood-frame dwellings with the gable end facing the street.
Boss’s row is on Neff Street. This street was named after one of the coal company’s superintendents, and is located north of the town and the coke works. Along this street are four two-story wood-frame houses. Three have shed-roof extensions off the rear facade and central brick chimneys.

The layout of the town indicates that the houses were built during at least two periods. The earliest buildings, single two-story dwellings with gable facades, were constructed at about the time when the school and church were built. The double houses between First and Fourth streets were constructed later. The school and church are both abandoned.

Lowber information printed with permission from Raymond A. Washlaski, editor “The Old Miner”
For more information, visit Raymond’s website: http://patheoldminer.rootsweb.ancestry.com/