A view of Pottsville from Coal Street | 19th century

Posted on by Jake Wynn

In the late 1860s or early 1870s, photographer Amos M. Allen captured this view of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, from a lot along Coal Street.

The photograph, now held by the Getty Museum, looks across the growing Schuylkill County seat at a moment of transition. We can date the image to before 1874–1876, since the distinctive spire of the Miners’ Journal building – later a defining feature of Pottsville’s skyline until its collapse during a fire in 1892 – had not yet been constructed.

What follows is a closer look at several familiar Pottsville landmarks visible in Allen’s photograph, offering a glimpse of the city as it appeared in the 19th century.

Historic photograph of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, showing buildings and the landscape, taken in the late 1860s or early 1870s, with Sharp Mountain in the background.
The full image – taken from a lot on Coal Street looking southwest toward the backside of Centre Street and Sharp Mountain.
Historic photograph of Pottsville in the late 1860s or early 1870s, featuring the statue of Henry Clay on a hillside and early buildings in the foreground.
The famed statue of Kentucky politician and presidential aspirant Henry Clay stands towering above the city. Constructed in the 1850s by admirers of Clay, a Whig politician who supported “internal improvements” – railroads, canals, roads – and industrial growth, the statue remains as part of the city skyline today.
Historic photograph depicting the 'Cloud Home' of the Bannan family in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, surrounded by trees and hills.
The “Cloud Home” of the Bannan family. The Bannans, Benjamin and John, became powerful barons in the early years of Schuylkill County history. John built “Cloud Home” using the wealth attained from his law practice in Pottsville. Benjamin bought the Miners’ Journal newspaper and became the most powerful newspaper editor in the region.
A historical black-and-white photograph of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, showcasing various buildings from the late 1860s or early 1870s, including the American House Hotel, capturing the architectural style of the era.
The American House Hotel was one of the busiest hotels in Pottsville in the mid-19th century. Built on Centre Street just above the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad’s passenger depot, anyone getting off a train in Pottsville saw this building or stayed within its walls. The hotel also hosted many events, including speeches by Governor Andrew Curtin during the Civil War as regiments departed Schuylkill County for Virginia and the front lines.

Explore More of Pottsville’s History

Iron works in Pottsville, Pennsylvania | 1860s

An illustration of Pottsville, Pennsylvania | 1861

“Saturday night in Pottsville” | Scenes from 1845

Pottsville, Pennsylvania in 1833 | A growing coal town

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One thought on “A view of Pottsville from Coal Street | 19th century”

  1. My great grandfather Joseph R Workman was a flour and feed dealer at 502 N Centre Street in Pottsville in 1881. I think that’s now North Centre Plaza.

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