The Village of Bowers
A Pleasant Village on a Branch of the Saucony: The Founding and Growth of Bowers, Pennsylvania
Upon the cessation for the quarterly publication Along the Saucony, the society began publishing in-depth yearly tomes pertinent to its mission. The first in 2007 was Cory Kegerise’s master’s thesis, written for his Master of Science degree in historic preservation from the University of Pennsylvania. The 52-page publication features a detailed study of the history of the village (first laid out by Jonas Bower in 1859), photos, references, and bibliography. A native of Topton, Cory’s family tree has long roots in the Bowers area. Below is a brief excerpt from this publication.
“Bowers is situated in eastern Berks County, near the intersection of Maxatawny, Rockland, and Longswamp Townships. Bowers Road, which runs north-south between Kutztown and Dryville, and Old Bowers Road, which spurs off the Fleetwood-Topton Road and dead ends at Bowers Road, intersect in the center of Bowers and are the only two major thoroughfares in the village; the church, tavern, and all the houses front onto one of these two roads. A network of narrow, unpaved alleys provides access to the rear of properties, some of which have small sheds and garages. An active rail line parallels Bowers Road to the north. The 36-mile line was established in 1859 as the East Penn Railroad and connected the two major cities in the region, Allentown to the northeast and Reading to the southwest. The East Penn was purchased by the larger Reading Railroad within a few years of its establishment and today the line is operated by CSX.
There are two major bodies of water in Bowers, both of which were integral to the village's growth and development. The Saucony Creek flows along the western edge of the village and a small millpond lies east of Old Bowers Road. The Saucony begins in the hills to the south and west of Bowers, in Rockland Township, and winds through meadows and farm fields on its way to Kutztown; the small creek ultimately joins the Maiden Creek, a major tributary of the Schuylkill River, in Richmond Township. The millpond was constructed in the late 18 century by diverting water from the Saucony into a man-made channel. A narrow raceway carries water out of the pond along an alley, under Old Bowers Road and the railroad tracks before cutting across a field and rejoining the Saucony just north of the village. A wide, two lane stone bridge carries Old Bowers Road over the raceway.
The buildings in Bowers are predominantly residential, with only one institutional building, Christ DeLong's United Church of Christ, and a handful of service oriented commercial buildings. Bowers Road is lined by a mix of single and twin houses of various sizes and styles, the frame blacksmith shop, and the converted schoolhouse. William DeLong Memorial Park occupies a large swath of land between Bowers Road, Fleetwood-Topton Road, and the Saucony Creek. Old Bowers Road is lined with stately freestanding homes, including five stately mansions, with a grouping of four rowhouses on the south between the millrace and Bowers Road. Christ Delong's United Church of Christ (1901) stands midway between Bowers Road and Kohler Road: the church's cemetery lies across Old Bowers Road. The Bowers Hotel stands on the northeast corner of the intersection of Bowers Road and Old Bowers Road and, along with the church, is the village's most prominent landmark.
