Glen Summit Springs is a private community located in
Northeastern Pennsylvania
Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA) is a geographic region of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania that includes the Pocono Mountains, the Endless Mountains, and the industrial cities of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pittston, Hazleton, Nanticoke, and Carbon ...
, United States, on the northern slope of the eastern end of
Nescopeck Mountain
Nescopeck Mountain (also known as Nescopec Mountain) is a ridge in Columbia County and Luzerne County, in Pennsylvania, in the United States. Its elevation is above sea level. The ridge is a forested ridge, with at least two types of forest and ...
, where it sweeps to the north to meet the southward bend of
Penobscot Mountain
Penobscot Knob, also Penobscot Mountain, is a summit located in the western fringe of the Poconos nearest to Mountain Top, Pennsylvania which in the Solomon Gap pass below it lies an important multi-modal transportation corridor. At one time befo ...
. The area has long been known regionally for its mountain springs and is now protected by over of pristine, uncultivated forest made up of privately owned and conservation lands. The area was once the summer residence of many of the
Wyoming Valley
The Wyoming Valley is a historic industrialized region of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The region is historically notable for its influence in helping fuel the American Industrial Revolution with its many anthracite coal-mines. As a metropolitan are ...
elite including the Kirbys, Welles, Hollenbacks, and Sterlings.
The community is located in
Fairview Township,
Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Luzerne County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and is water. It is Northeastern Pennsylvania's second-largest county by total area. As of ...
, east of the
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...
of
Mountain Top.
Early settlers
One of the first settlers of Glen Summit Springs was John Conety. In the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, Conety owned approximately that included present-day Indian Springs and Glen Summit Springs. Conety had a log cabin on the property and kept a roadhouse for passing travelers from the Wyoming Valley to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
or
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
.
After his death the land passed to his son, Richard Conety, Sr. Conety sold the land and a house he had built on the property in 1880 to Mr. H. H. Derr of
Wilkes-Barre
Wilkes-Barre ( or ) is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Luzerne County. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in the 2020 census. It is the secon ...
. Derr purchased the property for fish and game. A few years later Derr sold the property to the
Lehigh Valley Railroad
The Lehigh Valley Railroad was a railroad built in the Northeastern United States to haul anthracite coal from the Coal Region in Pennsylvania. The railroad was authorized on April 21, 1846 for freight and transportation of passengers, goods, w ...
Company.
In 1882 the Lehigh Valley Railroad along with J.E. Patterson organized the Glen Summit Hotel and Land Company and bought some more adjoining land to their original purchase from Derr. Here they began work on a hotel. The land was covered in scrub oak at the time, which allowed fantastic views of the valley that stretched before the westward face of Nescopeck Mountain. Over time this view was blocked by tree growth, but the addition of trees helped to increase the beauty of the neighborhood.
Founding and original Victorian cottages
![Joseph E](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Joseph_E._Patterson.jpg)
The founder of Glen Summit Hotel and Land Company and later the Glen Summit Springs Company was J.E. Patterson. Patterson was a successful Wilkes-Barre businessman who sought to purchase property in the area now known as Glen Summit to enjoy the mountain air and resolve his bothersome
insomnia
Insomnia, also known as sleeplessness, is a sleep disorder in which people have trouble sleeping. They may have difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep as long as desired. Insomnia is typically followed by daytime sleepiness, low energy, ...
. He purchased approximately on which he built his home, knowing the grounds contained excellent springs. Mr. Patterson undertook discussions with the Lehigh Valley Railroad and proposed that a grand hotel should be built to provide rail travelers a distinguished place to rest and refresh. Mr. Patterson's idea was embraced and in 1882 construction was begun on a magnificent hotel with Mr. Patterson acting as the general contractor.
In the transfer of land from Mr. Patterson to the Lehigh Valley Railroad, Patterson retained that held the finest springs and began bottling pure spring water in 1884. This would later become the Glen Summit Springs Company. The Glen Summit Hotel and the Victorian cottages that were subsequently built in the Glen Summit Village, were, in their heyday, a gathering place for the social elite from as far as New York and Philadelphia. From 1880 to 1915 a total of forty-three
Victorian-style and
Cottage-style houses were built by vacationers to the Glen Summit Hotel, starting with J.E. Patterson and ending with
F.M. Kirby. Some of these homes were even given names, though some of them have been lost to time. Some of these names were "Stony Croft", "Breezy Top" and "Graystone Terrace".
Many of these first 43 homes remain to this day.
Glen Summit Hotel
![The Glen Summit Hotel Postcard 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/The_Glen_Summit_Hotel_Postcard_1.jpg)
Construction on the Glen Summit Hotel began in 1883. Opened February 21, 1884, the hotel was originally built as a clean place where passengers could enjoy their meals. A pamphlet published for the hotel describes it as the following.
"In this sanitarium of Nature's own building, where all the elements combine to produce sanitary conditions, it is the Glen Summit Springs hotel, the most famous mountain resort in the highlands of the Keystone State. Perched like an eagle's eyrie high upon the mountain's crest, the hotel is of the Alpine chateau style of architecture presenting a truly imposing appearance."
The hotel was three stories high and could accommodate up to 250 people. The hotel held a number of amenities throughout the neighborhood, many of which still survive today. What is referred to by current residents as the "Casino" was originally an addition to the hotel. This building included a
bowling alley
A bowling alley (also known as a bowling center, bowling lounge, bowling arena, or historically bowling club) is a facility where the sport of bowling is played. It can be a dedicated facility or part of another, such as a Meetinghouse, clubhous ...
and
billiards
Cue sports are a wide variety of games of skill played with a cue, which is used to strike billiard balls and thereby cause them to move around a cloth-covered table bounded by elastic bumpers known as .
There are three major subdivisions of ...
and
shuffleboard
Shuffleboard (more precisely deck shuffleboard, and also known as floor shuffleboard) is a game in which players use cues to push weighted discs, sending them gliding down a narrow court, with the purpose of having them come to rest within a ma ...
rooms.
Further into the neighborhood were tennis courts, as well as a nearby lake used for fishing and boating, both of which are still in use.
Shortly after the construction of the hotel the
Pullman car
In the United States, Pullman was used to refer to railroad sleeping cars that were built and operated on most U.S. railroads by the Pullman Company (founded by George Pullman) from 1867 to December 31, 1968.
Other uses
Pullman also refers to rai ...
was developed for rail travel, eliminating the need for the hotel as a place for meals. However, patronage continued due to the lovely setting and amenities that were offered. During the 1890s patrons would be delighted to see that the president of the
Lehigh Valley Railroad
The Lehigh Valley Railroad was a railroad built in the Northeastern United States to haul anthracite coal from the Coal Region in Pennsylvania. The railroad was authorized on April 21, 1846 for freight and transportation of passengers, goods, w ...
or another official would consistently come up to enjoy a weekend at the hotel. Eventually patronage began to decline when the smaller engines used in the 1880s and 1890s gave way to larger and louder locomotives. During
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
the hotel was a successful meeting place for preparing
Red Cross
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
war supplies. It was also used as a meeting place for the people of Glen Summit and the surrounding neighborhood to hold teas, luncheons and dinners. In 1909 the owners of the nearby cottages formed a new company called the Glen Summit Company and purchased the hotel. In 1910 President
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
visited the hotel. However, no one could stop the decline, and after a few years the building was torn down.
File:Theodore Roosevelt Signed Glen Summit Hotel Envelope.jpg
Glen Summit Chapel
![The Glen Summit Chapel 2011](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/The_Glen_Summit_Chapel_2011.jpg)
In 1888 the residents and frequent patrons of Glen Summit contributed the money for a chapel. A rustic building was erected, one that was suitable for the mountainous area. Parts such as the organ and chairs were donated by patrons. Originally there were twelve services held each summer, but in 1932 this number was reduced to nine and eventually one. The chapel is still used for a yearly service as well as weddings, for neighborhood residents and outsiders, with the neighboring casino serving as a reception hall.
Fountain Lake
![Fountain Lake Postcard 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Fountain_Lake_Postcard_1.jpg)
Glen Summit's features include:
* Fountain Lake, a freshwater summer destination for swimming, fishing and camping open only to residents of Glen Summit
* The Glen Summit Tennis Courts (open only to the residents of Glen Summit) one of the only red-clay surface tennis facilities remaining in the United States
* 100-200 of acres of trails for hiking, hunting, mountain biking and recreation open only to the residents of Glen Summit
* The Glen Summit casino, which hosts community events, parties and wedding receptions primarily during the summer months
* The Twin Springs, with two gazebos enclosing the natural spring water which bubbles up through the sand which resides on private land and is open only to residents of Glen Summit
Glen Summit Spring Water
Notable Estates
References
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Unincorporated communities in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Unincorporated communities in Pennsylvania