Newport's Heritage

Newport's Heritage. A Rich Legacy in the Commuter Age. , The motor vehicle both altered and saved the local economy. In 1903 businessman W. H. Gantt owned one of the first automobiles in the borough. By 1925 the livery stables and carriage manufacturers in Newport were out of business. The town square water fountain for horses was removed in 1929. The borough had five automobile dealerships in 1931. , U.S. Route 22 opened in 1929 on the Howe Township side of the Juniata River which linked Newport by a paved motor way to the Susquehanna River and the State Capital. , U.S. Routes 22/322, a four-lane limited access roadway, was constructed in the 1960s and simplified commuting to the Harrisburg area. In 2015, an estimated 70% of Perry County workers drove to employment outside the county. Borough population declined and businesses closed in Newport as services and commerce grew at the U.S. Routes 22/322 Howe Township exit. , This then is the story of a Pennsylvania river town, of growth, flood and challenge. It is a Borough endowed with a rich industrial and architectural heritage, and a citizenry committed to lead a vibrant community further into a 21st century renaissance. , Today Newport is endowed with one of the greatest ensembles of 19th and early 20th century architecture in Central Pennsylvania. This highly regarded assemblage has been listed as a National Register Historic District since 1998. , From its beginning, Newport shipped farm, timber and later industrial products to distant markets. First on the river, then the canal, later the railroads and eventually a four-lane limited access highway. , The factories and heavy industry are gone. The river is used for recreation, the railroad moves mostly freight, and automobiles carry the majority of our workers to employment out of the county.