Foxburg, an event

 

Foxburg, an event

Recently we attended an event in Foxburg, Pa. Foxburg is a small town along the Allegheny river and is home to the oldest golf course in the United States. This excerpt is from GolfWRX December 23, 2017, “Consider the Foxburg Golf Club (Pennsylvania), and The Oakhurst Golf Club (West Virginia). Both Foxburg and Oakhurst had records of playable courses in 1884. The Foxburg, however, was a private course on private property that originally only had eight holes. In 1887, the Foxburg added nine new public holes to their course, and that course has been in continuous working existence ever since.” This isn’t a sports blog, so let’s move on.

Foxburg has a rich history, founded on land owned by the Fox family of Philadelphia. Samuel and brother George purchased the land in the 1790s comprised 6600 acres. Samuel’s son Joseph established a residence in 1826 near the confluence of the Clarion River. The residence became known as “the Mansion” where the succeeding generation of Foxes would take up season residence for 140 years. Oil development in 1870 stimulated the founding of the town with a peak population of 1000. Two railroads served the borough, with one lasting into the 1960s, but by 2008 the railroad remnants were no more, and the beds now host Rails to Trails.

The Fox family founded the Quaker religion in the 1600s in England, and the family built vast investments, business holdings and wealth in America. At one point, the hundreds of employees included a junior accountant named Benjamin Franklin. The Mansion legacy witnessed many upgrades over the years, including four powder rooms, wine cellar, conservatory, music room. 17 fireplaces and English-style pub. The entire estate grew to 26 structures, including additional homes. The grounds offer 23 ponds, hiking trails, an aviary, complete arboretum, sugar house for maple syrup, greenhouse, a one-of-a-kind carriage house and much more. Known as the River Stone Estate, it is the largest private estate in Pennsylvania.

Now you know the backstory, what is happening today, why do I offer this post? We are members of ARCA, Allegheny Riverstone Center for the Arts based in Foxburghttps://alleghenyriverstone.org › about › riverstone-estate. World-class performers come to this little town’s Lincoln Hall to perform. Names such as Barbara Nissman, https://www.barbaranissman.com, David Wickerham, https://www.manasotatheatreorgan.org/dave-wickerham/ but here is a 2024 season schedule, https://alleghenyriverstone.org/event-calendar/. On May 5, 2024, we were in attendance for the last performance on the McKissick Mighty Wurlitzer before it enters a yearlong renovation. There are only 350 organs left of the ten thousand originally built between 1910 and 1940. Only 38 remain in their original venues. The McKissick Mighty Wurlitzer has a history of its own before finding its way to Foxburg. On November 22, 1928, this instrument played during silent films and vaudeville in Cleveland’s Uptown Theater. Lincoln Hall is in the center of Foxburg with a view of the Allegheny River. The town also offers a winery, an art gallery (Red Brick Gallery), a library, hotel https://foxburginn.com/ and restaurants https://www.opentable.com/r/allegheny-grille-foxburg with balconies overlooking the river. Tickets for Lincoln Hall events sell out fast, so if you plan to attend, make your purchases and reservations early. The patrons prove friendly and easy to talk to.

My first forays into Foxburg occurred years ago, as a canoeist navigating overnight river adventures. Just below the town, on the riverbank, you’ll find free campsites to pitch a tent. In the evenings, we would walk the railroad tracks into town to watch the Steelers play football. The town also became a destination for our motorcycle rides. On any weekend of summer, you’ll find motorcycles packed in the parking lot (no outlaws) but just people enjoying their ride. Foxburg can serve a wide variety of interests. We’ve motorcycled through Europe, and the Foxburg reminds me of sleeping German village along the Mosel River. 

For additional information, www.alleghenyriverstone.org, join the concerts and RBG exhibits. Brave Knight Writers support the arts, literature, and music of the region. Visit us at braveknightwriters.com.