Reimagining Marianna: From Heritage to Renewal
As the new year begins, I find myself reflecting on how we can make the Marianna area, a blighted former coal-miming community a place where people want to live, work, and gather. Unfortunately, over the years, it feels like Marianna Borough—once a thriving historical district—has been in steady decline, from the roads to the houses. While there have been some improvements, such as the new walking trail and upgrades to the water infrastructure, the preservation of Marianna Dam stands out. Though some pushed for its preservation, despite its lack of practical use today that benefits everyone, it now serves little purpose, and residents are restricted from accessing it due to legal limitations.
Main Street in West Bethlehem Township, once a hub of activity, now stands empty and silent, with several buildings dilapidated. A quick look at Google Maps from 2024 compared to 2012 in the Borough highlights just how much has changed for the worse in just 12 short years. Some might not want to hear this, but we can’t hide from the facts. Without community programs or tax incentives to help drive change, current efforts—such as code enforcement—are simply not enough to stop the deterioration, if they are even enforced at all. The condition of the borough roads, for the most part, is a prime example—potholes are a constant problem that go largely unaddressed. Why?
Could a housing company come in, take control through eminent domain, and redevelop the area into a new housing development? This may still be a long way off—or it may never happen at all—but with more homes disappearing each year, it’s hard to see how areas like this can sustain their government with so few residents in the future. While this all may be an uncomfortable truth, it might be the only way to revitalize the area and transform it into a thriving, sustainable area once again.
Before that happens, however, we need to consider how residents, businesses, and local government can come together to reverse the decline in houses and buildings trend—perhaps by introducing community programs, offering tax incentives for property improvements, and rethinking zoning or development strategies. But beyond that, we also need to revive the spirit of neighbors helping neighbors. Maybe it’s offering a can of paint to a neighbor who can’t afford to repaint their porch or windows, or lending a hand to fix a fence or mow a lawn. Sharing skills, tools, and resources could make a huge difference. Trading services, like exchanging labor for materials, could help strengthen our community bonds.
The clock is ticking, and if we don’t act soon, we risk losing what’s left of the unique yellow-brick mining houses that stand as a symbol of our history and heritage.
Good Reads:
Historic Districts in Pennsylvania by Michel R. Lefevre. You can read it in full, or start on page 13, under the section PHMC Certified Historic Districts, which shows a section of Marianna homes.
