Brookville Beginnings
Historic Brookville
"I was born in Brookville when wolves howled almost nightly on what is now known as our 'Fair Ground'; when the pine in its lofty pride leaned gloomily over every hillside; when the woods around our shanty town was the home of many wild animals and birds..."
Dr. W. J. McKnight
Native Americans had moved west by 1795 when brothers Joseph and Andrew Barnett and Samuel Scott built a lumber mill where Mill Creek enters the Sandy Lick, now called Port Barnett, an area one mile east of Brookville. Soon Moses Knapp built a cabin and grist mill where the Sandy Lick and North Fork form the Red Bank Creek.
Jefferson County was carved out of Lycoming County in 1804, and in 1830 three commissioners from the legislature named Brookville the county seat and surveyors laid out the town. As was the custom, specific lots were reserved for public buildings and a cemetery, but most others measured 58' by 150' for which people paid $30 to $300. Soon there were 40 dwellings, a brick courthouse, four stores, and four taverns. The population grew to 276 but much of this area remained a wilderness.
The early history of Brookville is recorded in The History of Jefferson County (1888) by Kate M. Scott (right) and in A Pioneer History of Jefferson County, Pennsylvania (1917) by Dr. William J. McKnight (left).
Brookville's
this page online
[Photo captions, clockwise from top left, read]
• Western Entrance to Brookville, 1840
• Oldest Known Photograph of Brookville's Main Street, Attributed to W.D.J. Marlin, 1854
• Dr. William J. McKnight
• Kate M. Scott
Erected by Historic Brookville, Inc., Jeff Co History Center, Brookville Area Chamber, Jeff Co Hotel Tax Cmte, DCNR, PA Lumber Heritage Region, and PA Great Outdoors.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1795.
Location. 41° 9.653′ N, 79° 5.017′ W. Marker is in Brookville, Pennsylvania, in Jefferson County. Marker is at the intersection of Main Street (U.S. 322) and White Street, on the right when traveling east on Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 395 Main Street, Brookville PA 15825, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. McCracken-Fetzer-McKinley Building (a few steps from this marker); Carrier-Shields Store (a few steps from
Also see . . .
1. Chapter XXXII: History of Brookville (Kate M. Scott, 1888). (Submitted on July 9, 2021, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Borough of Brookville PA: History. (Submitted on July 9, 2021, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
3. Brookville PA National Register Historic District Nomination. (Submitted on July 9, 2021, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on July 9, 2021. It was originally submitted on July 9, 2021, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 307 times since then and 48 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 9, 2021, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
