Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania

Lake Ariel is a small community located in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States. It was once the site of an amusement park. The main intersection is dominated by Saint Thomas More Roman Catholic Church, lake elementary school, and Howe's convenience market.

External links

* [http://www.hometownlocator.com/City/Lake-Ariel-Pennsylvania.cfm Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania community locator]

Town

Lake Ariel is a small town located in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania. It is a quiet area with a lot of history. The town contains many local businesses and the lake. Lake Ariel, which was founded by settlers with the name of Jones, was once known by its people as Jonestown. Although it began as a couple of family farms, Jonestown soon expanded due to the Pennsylvania Coal Company's Gravity Railroad. It brought workers and soon businesses were needed to fulfil their needs, including a post office named Ariel, which would later lead to the change in name of the town.

Present Day

Businesses

The center of Lake Ariel is the setting of most of the town's businesses, although there are numerous otheres within the town. There are restaurants, a bank, a florist, a hardware store, hair salons, and a funeral home, just to name a few. One of Lake Ariel's best known businesses is Howe Convenient Market and gas station.

Churches

Lake Ariel also contains many churches and religious institutions. In the center of town there is a Catholic Church, St. Thomas More. It is a large church with many parishioners. It located next to the elementary school and is surrounded by its parish center and rectory. There is also a Methodist Church located within the town, and other Protestant churches outside the town.

chools

In Lake Ariel, there is the Lake Ariel Elementary School. Children from 3rd to 5th grade attended this school. It is part of the Western Wayne School District which also has schools in the nearby towns of Waymart, Hamlin, and Varden.

Historic

Businesses

From the late 1800s through the 1900s, Lake Ariel has had various thriving businesses. There were numerous sawmills, and Lake Ariel also had different factories such as a cheese factory and a chair factory. Many townspeople also held jobs at the ice houses and Lake Ariel Park. Lake Ariel Park was a major tourist area for the town. It contained a pavilion for picnics and dancing. There were also rides such as a waterslide, a rollercoasted called the Cyclone, carousels, and miniature train rides. The park also had a beach where visitors could go swimming or boating. The owners of Lake Ariel Park also purchased an airplane so that their visitors could pay to get rides in the plane. The Lake Ariel Park also led to the increased popularity of the Lake Ariel Hotel which was formerly known as the Columbia Hotel. The Lake Ariel Hotel still stands today but it is not in good condition and is no longer a business. Unfortunately, the Lake Ariel Park had a worse fate. Due to summer hurricanes and bad winters the park had to be closed down in the early 1950s.Some businesses did withstand the test of time. John T. Howe started his gas station 1919, the business was passed down to his son and is still in business today. It now is called Howe Convenient Market. It is a gas station and store but it is not in the original building. Another business that had a few changes but is still running today is the Wayne Garage. It was built in 1915, making it the oldest business in Lake Ariel. After it was sold to new owners in 1958 it was changed to a body shop and remains one today.

Churches

The original St. Thomas More was dedicated in 1942. In 1996 the construction for the expansion of the church began; the rectory was torn down and rebuilt across the street, the church was converted into a steeple and offices and a new, larger church was built connected to it. A church from the past that remains unchanged today is the Avoy Christian Church, not only is it still standing but it still has services on Sunday. The Gravity Pentecostal Church is also still in tact today, but it is now used as a house.

chools

The Lake Ariel Elementary school has gone through many changes in its time. The original building is no longer the educational institute. The building known today as the Lake Ariel Elementary School was formerly known as the Lake Consolidated School. It was built in 1936 and in the 1950s in held the grades kindergarten through 12th. Since a new high school was built in Varden in 1973 it has been used soley as an elementary school.

References

Images of America: Around the Lake, Kurt A. Reed For the Lake Ariel Region Historical Association