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Home:Easy to Surf Directory:Southern Stretch: Orwigsburg
The original county seat has a quaint look
Historic Orwigsburg, the original county seat, is often described as a jewel of southern Schuylkill County. Its landscaping and historic look create a quaint downtown feel.

The first settlement in Orwigsburg was made by Peter Orwig in 1773. He plotted the site of the present town in 1796 and named it Orwigsburg in honor of his grandfather, George Gottfried Orwig, who emigrated from Germany in 1747. It was 1811 when Orwigsburg became the first county seat and the borough was incorporated in 1823.

Schuylkill County’s first courthouse was erected in the borough in 1815 and served the county until 1851, when the seat was moved to Pottsville. The former courthouse became the Arcadian Institute and later the Orwigsburg Shoe Manufacturing Co. Agriculture, shoe, textile and cigar manufacturing were among the leading industries in Orwigsburg’s earlier days.

Points of Interest

  • The Orwigsburg Historical Society, is located in the former Friendship Hose Company building.
  • The Heritage Days celebration each fall attracts thousands.
  • The Festival of Lights kicks off the Christmas season.
  • The Orwigsburg Memorial building on Grove Street is used for sports and community events.


Population: 3,106  Founded: 1823

Government
Seven-member borough council.
Mayor: Austin Scandiber
Members: Charles J. Sterner, Frank A. Rogers, Darle W. Cresswell, John J. Fenstermacher, Susan L. Murphy, John M. Rehrig, Steven J. Zimmerman

Municipal Address and Phone Number
209 N. Warren St.
Orwigsburg, PA 17961
Phone: 570-366-3103
Fax: 570-366-3106

Office Hours
9:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Regular Meeting Time
7:30 p.m. on second Wednesday of the month at borough hall.

Part of the Blue Mountain School District
DISTRICT OFFICE:
685 Red Dale Road, Orwigsburg, Pa 17961
Phone: 570-366-0515
Fax: 570-366-0838
Superintendent: William H. Hall

NUMBER OF STUDENTS: 3055

HIGH SCHOOL:
1076 W. Market, Schuylkill Haven, Pa 17972
Phone: 570-366-0511
Fax: 570-366-1965
Principal: James F. Orwig

MIDDLE SCHOOL:
685 Red Dale Road, Orwigsburg, Pa 17961
Phone: 570-366-0546
Fax: 570-366-2513
Principal: William J. Toomey Jr.

BLUE MOUNTAIN ELEMENTARY, CRESSONA:
45 Wilder Street, Cressona, Pa 17929
Phone: 570-385-5580
Fax: 570-385-7206
Principal: Patricia A. LaPlaca

BLUE MOUNTAIN ELEMENTARY EAST:
675 Red Dale Road, Orwigsburg, Pa 17961
Phone: 570-366-1065
Fax: 570-366-1797
Principal: Jeffrey S. Zweibel

BLUE MOUNTAIN ELEMENTARY WEST:
1383 Long Run Road, Friedensburg, Pa 17933
Phone: 570-739-4461
Fax: 570-739-4822
Principal: Linda K. Cheripka

SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS: Joseph A. Martin, president; Samuel J. Deibert, treasurer; Theodore H. Heffner, Vicki H. Hill, Gary D. Hitzemann, Matthew G. Kelly, G. Patrick O'Hara, Sallie A. Geary Sandler, Susan M. Thompson

BOARD MEETING DATE/TIME: 8 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of the month, except otherwise published in the school calendar.


Map of Orwigsburg (PDF - 43 K)