BROWNSVILLE, PA DRIVE THROUGH NOV 1972

BROWNSVILLE. PA, 1972 DRIVE THROUGH TOWN

[@BethPaige]

Just now found this. Where I was born around the time I was born. Now there's..........nothing. Absolutely nothing. Even the house I grew up in is gone. So very sad.

[@mcarlkv53]

at 1:10-1:13 is my grandfathers house...the house my father grew up in

[@dess_xxoox]

this is so cool to see because i've lived here ever since i was born and it looks nothing like this anymore. everything is closed and they're trying to make something out of brownsville again but nothing is coming together

[@carnacthemagnificent2498]

I just saw another video with a tour of modern Brownsville where the story is told that some investor came to town after it fell on hard times due to the rust belt period and promised he could revitalize it totally, with many grand plans but no backing. They town agreed to sell all the abandoned buildings in the downtown to him so he could get on it, but then he did nothing. Worse, he wouldn't sell them back and he paid the taxes so they couldn't be seized. A couple decade passed before they finally got him out but damage done. And the town is as you see it, nearly abandoned and slowly trying to crawl back. How could one guy convince an entire town to sell nearly the whole downtown to him and then do nothing with it all? Apparently it happened.

[@user-uz3ex2qt2t]

that guy knew almost no history of Brownsville, originally called Redstone Fort. It will never be what it was when my family first settled here with a huge land grant from King Charles II for helping him regain the English throne. Porter's homestead is still out on Bull Run Rd. Just a small farm compared to the land we owned originally. We built Hopewell Church, Laurel Hill Church, and so much more. Everywhere is the Porter name in SWpa.

[@carnacthemagnificent2498]

@@user-uz3ex2qt2t I'm just a guy who loves americana and small towns, it upsets me to see them in decay. But I'm not from a family that has been lined to a town for centuries. Must be tough for you to watch what's happened but there's always hope that it comes around.

[@ratsrock2323]

Hi! Any chance I could use this clip in a video I am creating? (obviously will give credit/provide links)

[@tuberruber]

yes

[@TheHolyMongolEmpire]

Wow, its such a shit hole now, and that sucks because it could be one of Western PAs most beautiful and historic towns. Yet, it will all most likely get torn down and it slowly is. They just tore down an entire block of 1840s commercial buildings along route 40 in Brownsville just last year. Horrible.

[@AlbertoVO5]

Insert Redletter Media Meme Here
That’s sad to hear. Not a native but married into a family with B’ville roots. First visited in the early 90s, was virtually abandoned then. Many trips since have watched it get worse. Always hoped something could happen with the historic buildings. Good memories of Fiddles and fishing from the wharf with locals.

[@avenueb]

This is unacceptable.

[@panagiotisf7228]

were did you get this footage

[@tuberruber]

November 1972, I was back in B'ville from Philadelphia for my Brother Bob's Wedding. I brought along a used Bolex H-16 movie camera to capture some memories. (This was a time before consumer video cameras were available.) This was my first time with this camera so I wanted to practice using it before the wedding. So I my brother Ron and I drove down to my old school and then drove through town taking movie clips of downtown and high street. Try watching it with a 1972 music hit playing in the background. Copyright laws forbid me from adding this music to this clip on You tube or face book. Try playing,"American Pie", Roberta Flack, or Neil Young, Moody Blues, etc.

[@paulcook3878]

Back when I was a little boy dad was taking me and my mom home from Sunday mass at St Peters church. Dad stopped at the light coming down into town and Marion Clingingsmith who was the mayor and was called slugger tapped on the car window. Mom rolled down the window and slugger asked mom what she thought of the fair town of Brownsville? Mom told slugger she thought it was the asshole of the world. Mom kinda told it like it was.

[@user-uz3ex2qt2t]

I grew up here too, St. Peter's Parochial school graduate , was baptized, communed, confirmed and married at St. Peters. Dad owned Porter's Paint and Glass, Mom grad Brownsville School of Nsg, worked at both hospitals. Porter's settled here in 1682 when it was called Redstone Fort. We stopped Pres. Washington from coming in and enforcing the Whiskey Stamp Tax with his 40,000 troops. Married into all the old families, Bowman's Brashears, Crawford, Cunninghams, Jeffries, etc. Lots of history here, I have studied much of it. Sad to see how it went down. But at least the skeleton is still there.

[@morganchatsworthiii9178]

Really cool vid! Where is the location at 1:00?

[@joeschmo5021]

I believe that is off of Jackson Street. Just off the dirt road that leads back into century.
That may be the white house that burned a red light known as "Jackies" back in those days.

[@cpu554]

@@joeschmo5021 Myself and a two buds nearly got shot for throwing firecrackers at it one night.

[@morganchatsworthiii9178]

Just making an observation, but notice the correlation between all the USA made cars and the thriving small towns.

[@mixupmania5654]

Tubrubber whats your name