The Three Towers Apartment building was originally constructed
in 1885 as the public school for the town of Mauch Chunk, which
at the time was one of the richest places in America. The area's
immense wealth came from transporting coal (mined nearby) to the
industrial towns of the East coast. Displaying that wealth are
the architecture and construction of many buildings, including
the school, with no expense spared on quality or quantity of building
materials. Walls average 12 inches in thickness in the supporting
structure, with the exterior being even more massive. Interior
beams (although hidden) are colossal, and framing around original
doors and windows shows craftsmanship of the day. Everything in
the building was created in a large scale - the windows are quite
tall and the ceilings average 11 feet in height. Even the stairwells
at each end of the building are quite wide, with many sculpted
wooden banisters and posts, and uniquely shaped windows. From
the outside, the building exhibits aspects of strength and beauty
at once, with its massive brick face and three towers dominating
the view, and thin accent windows and bell tower louvers adding
subtle grace. While it is the largest building and a commanding
presence in the neighborhood, it does not overpower buildings
around it, rather it adds an element of architectural variety.
For over 50 years, this wonderful building was home
to the education of the youngsters of downtown Mauch Chunk and
"the Heights." In the late 1930's, this building was
replaced by a newer school, but it was soon put to use as a training
center for displaced workers. Depression-era Mauch Chunk endured
extremely hard times when coal fell out-of-favor as a fuel, since
there was no other major industry aside from coal transportation,
but during these lean times the old school building became a positive
asset to the local economy, housing a pocketbook factory that
enabled some townspeople to maintain a decent living. By the 70's,
though, the industry moved out of Jim Thorpe, and the building
sat vacant for many years. In the early 80's, a local architect
began renovations, and with the help of historic grants was able
to convert the solid old school building into 17 unique apartments,
each having some of the architectural flair of the original building,
as well as necessary conveniences. Around this time, the town
started making a comeback of its own, with the downtown being
revitalized and an arts community developing, as well as growing
in the adventure tourism niche. Unfortunately for the building,
the owner sold to an absentee landlord who was more interested
in lining his pockets than keeping a nice building. For 15 years
it was not cared for as well as it deserved, and languished while
the town continued its resurgence. Recently, new local ownership
has brought a commitment to revitalizing the old school building,
and has made Three Towers Apartments a great place to live that
is a valuable addition to this once-again vibrant community. Jim
Thorpe is a wonderful place to be, and the old school, solid as
ever, is now on its way to becoming the premier rental address
in town.
To discuss residential opportunities at Three Towers, call Tom
Loughery of Tour Management, Inc. at 570-325-9982 or email tourmgt@hotmail.com
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