Weissport is a small borough across the Lehigh River from Lehighton.
Urban planners and students of urban government know that one house on a block can change the composition of that block over time. A house with a littered yard or broken windows or drug dealing will bring that entire block down. People will move out, houses will be abandoned, decay will set in.
By the same token, one house or one business can also lift an entire neighborhood. People respond to improvements with their own improvements.
That is what is happening in Weissport. The park has been improved. A hotel known as a disreputable hangout has shut down. Mario’s Pizza opened up. Central Lunch is still going strong. Then, two years ago, Chantilly, an ice cream and candy store, opened its doors. The Antique Mall anchors the other end of the block. Other businesses are moving in. Earlier this month an excellent art gallery had its grand opening. That’s right, an art gallery in Weissport.
At one time Weissport had a bank, a furniture store, a railroad stop, a canal boat repair business, and quite a few other businesses. All of that collapsed and the town went into decline. It is now coming back. Although the annual “Redneck Festival” still gives it a bad name (confederate flags, assault rifle giveaways), I believe the town can get past that.
Tomorrow, Saturday, we are having a Miller-Keystone blood drive at Jacobs UCC across from the Weissport park. The Lehighton Area Democratic Club is the sponsor. Stop by, give blood, and take a stroll around the park. Bring an umbrella.
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