Hollidaysburg

 Hollidaysburg as seen from the scenic overlook in Chimney Rocks Park.

The first spot my editor at the Altoona Mirror recommended as a place to live was the borough of Hollidaysburg. 

He said a handful of reporters and copy editors live in Hollidaysburg because of its proximity to Altoona (no more than five miles and 15 minutes driving). Being so close to my coworkers would grant me the advantage of making connections quicker.

But just because it was close doesn’t mean it was the only option I had as a living arrangement. So I thought to myself – why Hollidaysburg?

The main reason was due to an acquaintance of the editor who was offering an upstairs apartment in town for $425 a month. I knew it wasn’t the cheapest option, but I also figured it wasn’t the most expensive, either. My hole-in-the-wall apartment in State College rented for $580 a month per tenant (there were five of us), and it was – in endearing terms – a landfill. A price tag of $425 a month for one person seemed unreal, but I didn’t have many other leads at the time (by “many” I mean “none”). 

We drove along Route 36 for a couple of minutes. The outskirts of town impressed me. At the intersection of 36 and Park Avenue sits Lakemont Park – a family resort since 1896 that includes water slides, roller coasters and kids’ rides. The park has so much history that I’m better off mentioning it in another post.

The houses along 36 had a Victorian look to them with beautiful gardens, pillars and large covered porches all around. The owners seemed to have a maintenance regiment for their yards since I couldn’t find a trace of uncut grass anywhere. A golfing club and schools also lined the route, giving me the sense that this area was suitable for children and adults alike. This wasn’t the urban setting of Altoona by any means. Everything seemed so trim and proper. This was suburbia at its finest, and we didn’t even enter Hollidaysburg yet.

We turned onto Allegheny Street, which is the main road through Hollidaysburg’s historic district.

The Blair County Courthouse

Allegheny Street

The Blair County Prison /
Central Booking

One of the train yards off Route 36
near Hollidaysburg

The view of Hollidaysburg from the top
of Chimney Rocks Park.

Along Allegheny Street sat many mom-and-pop restaurants, businesses, attorney offices, cafés and apartments. The best way I can describe it is the borough of Jim Thorpe without the incline. All the businesses are snug next to one another. There isn’t a sign of plant life other than the trees and flower plots that dot the sidewalks every 50 feet or so.

The most prolific structure in the town also sits on this street. I asked my editor what church it was, and he corrected me. It was the Blair County Courthouse (Hollidaysburg acts as the seat for Blair County). I mistook the courthouse for a church due to its large steeple / clock tower. The building is surrounded by several monuments commemorating Civil War service members and fallen police officers.

Hollidaysburg has been the county seat since 1846, when Blair County came into existence.

Also in this part of town is the Blair County Prison and Central Booking, which is about two blocks from the courthouse. I convinced myself that the prison was a Medieval castle in disguise. It has a stone perimeter and a Gothic appearance. The glass doors in the front are the only things that don’t make it look as though the building is fortified to repel a French invasion.

The courthouse and central booking are the most historical-looking structures in the borough, but it doesn’t mean history has passed Hollidaysburg by.

The local government has made the effort to display Hollidaysburg’s historical significance as much as possible. This wasn’t a hard job since Hollidaysburg oozes history. It wasn’t always this way, however.

The borough’s official website states the town of Hollidaysburg started in 1796, and by 1814 “it consisted of several houses and a tavern.” Back then, this may have been considered tremendous progress in just 18 years, but when you think about it, our country declared its independence, fought in a war and ratified the Constitution in less time. Hollidaysburg had some catching up to do.

It did just that when it became a main transfer point between the Pennsylvania Canal and the Allegheny Portage Railroad, which made the town a hub for transportation of goods and people. This increase in industrial strength is what led to the town’s certification as a borough and eventually the county seat.

On top of this, the Pennsylvania Railroad built a switching yard in the borough in 1903, making it a larger industrial power. Around the same time, road workers ran U.S. Route 22 through Hollidaysburg, which today takes you to Pittsburgh and beyond the state’s western border. Hollidaysburg's most recent claim to fame is its production of the famed children’s toy, the Slinky. The toy didn’t originate in Hollidaysburg, but the company moved its operations to the borough in 1964 and hasn’t looked back. 

Much like any other railroad town in Pennsylvania, Hollidaysburg’s economic status has leveled off, if not dipped, but it still boasts some larger businesses such as DeGol and McLanahan.

Hollidaysburg is fortunate that it is within close proximity to some excellent outdoor recreation. 

On the other side of town is Chimney Rocks Park, which provides a picnic area and trails with a terrific view of the valley below.

A couple of miles away is Canoe Creek State Park, which provides lodging, swimming, fishing, boating, kayaking and hiking at the gorgeous Canoe Lake. 

Altogether, living in Hollidaysburg is like -- as this joke has probably has been beaten to death before -- being on holiday.

Every day I’ve spent in Hollidaysburg has been laid back with little-to-no worries at all. The neighbors and locals are friendly.

There isn’t the hustle and bustle of Wilkes-Barre, Philadelphia or Pittsburgh.

Being how antsy I am, however, I probably won’t be here too long before I realize that the world is large and contains all sorts of charms like Hollidaysburg, but I’m happy to have stumbled upon this borough first.