The North Branch Land Trust has undertaken a massive restoration effort - rescuing the Noxen railroad depot from ruin to create a structure that is both useful and historic.  As you can see in the photos below, the depot restoration effort has already made quite a difference: 

The Lehigh Valley Railroad Depot in Noxen was built in 1893, during the heyday of the lumbering and tanning industries.  The structure is one of only three of its type still standing.  Until very recently, the building stood in a state of disrepair, but the North Branch Land Trust is working to restore the historic structure for use as a conservation and education center. 

On December 22nd, 2003, the Citizens' Voice Newspaper in Wilkes-Barre printed an article outlining the progress of the depot restoration.  In addition, the story detailed a recent initiative to pool the resources of the NBLT and the Noxen Historical Association to fully restore the depot and the old Noxen School, which currently serves as the Noxen Library.  You can read the entire article by clicking here or on the link at right.
 

As promised in the December article, the entities working to restore the depot held an open house in January, 2004, to allow local residents and history buffs a chance to see for themselves the progress that has been made on the structure.

Tours began at the Noxen School/Community Center, where videos, old photos, and other memorabilia (such as an old railroad crossing sign) were on display.  Those waiting for a horse-drawn wagon ride to the depot could purchase food and refreshments, baked goods, or souvenir items like T-shirts and ornaments.

You can read more about the open house by clicking here, or on the article at left.

Volunteers are working hard to continue raising funds to complete the project.  Click here to go directly to NBLT's Noxen Train Depot Restoration page.  If you'd like to help their efforts you can write, call, or email:

North Branch Land Trust
11 Carverton Road
Trucksville, PA 18707
You can also call 570-696-5545,
log on to www.nblt.org,
or email noxendepot@nblt.org.

Bowman's Creek Watershed Association - 
Protecting our natural resources

The people of Noxen and its surrounding areas are committed not only to restoring our past, but to protecting our environment for the future.  The Bowman's Creek Watershed Association provides a strategic conservation plan based on community input.

A watershed is an area of land from which all rain or snowmelt runs off to a common stream or body of water.  Bowman's Creek is the common stream in the area that "collects" all of the small tributary streams, whose origins on top of the surrounding mountains and hilltops marks the boundaries of the watershed.  In this way, the creek ultimately drains an entire area of land.  The BCWA employs the scientific approach that says that earth's forests, streams, wildlife and other resources are best managed at the level of whole watersheds.

The BCWA works to monitor, restore and conserve the watershed's resources, such as water quality, forested land, and fish and wildlife.  The group also promotes work to preserve and protect local resources like wetlands, open space, farmland and scenic areas.  The Association seeks a balance between the economic health and environmental health of the watershed.*

Other restoration efforts include preserving the old school, which now serves as the Noxen Library.  The library features over 10,000 books, and volunteers are working to ensure that the building itself last well into the next century.  Volunteers are working to sell replacement windows with a memorial plaque.  For more information, call 570-298-2052.

To go to the library page, click here.

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