Spring City Eligible for Keystone Markers

The Spring City Borough Council met for a regular meeting after its reorganization on Tuesday night. Among the major items discussed were the return of Keystone Markers to the area.

Nathan Guest of the Keystone Marker Trust was on hand to give a presentation on Spring City's eligibility for more markers.

"It’s certainly something to celebrate," Guest said, explaining that although Spring City only has one marker remaining, it originally had three or four. "This is part of a statewide program. Every town in Pennsylvania had at least two of them. Every trail, creek, crossing, river crossing and point of interest had a Keystone Marker and they date just after the first World War."

The markers' existence cast Pennsylvania’s reputation as the Keystone State, Guest explained, with "tens-of-thousands" existing across the Pennsylvania landscape.

"You can imagine that these are collector items," he said. "No two are exactly the same. There are still 500 that we know of, but we're losing more all the time."

Guest indicated that the trust is making new markers in the Spring, to replace the known markers that existed years ago. PennDOT is also taking notice to reinstall markers as part of projects affecting historic resources. Spring City’s remaining marker has been taken down for refurbishing and will be returned. It is being restored by electrical manufacturing company, which is right in the borough.

"I want to plant the seed that as you are doing community planning in the future, Spring City had additional markers and are now available at a significant discount," Guest said. "So you can restore them if you wish."

Locations missing are at S. Main Street, and Bridge Street near the bridge. Guest said New and Wall Streets might have been the mark as the fourth location, but the trust is unsure.

A map of current Keystone Markers is online at www.keystonemarkertrust.org. Guest said a Google app is in development for the markers.

"I can't really see us paying $2,000 for a sign that tells me I'm home when I'm looking out for the old women who are losing their homes every day," said Board President Lou DiGuiseppe.

Councilman Mike Hays suggested using streetscapes as a way to fund the project. Borough Manager Dennis Rittenhouse said he would look into that option.

The current marker is supposed to be placed on Bridge Street on the border of East Vincent Township and Spring City Borough.