Pottstown / Pennsylvania / United States
About Schuylkill River Heritage Area The Schuylkill River National Heritage Area celebrates the rich culture and history of the Schuylkill River watershed as one of Americas most significant cultural and industrial regions. The boundaries of the Heritage Area cover the Schuylkill River watershed in Schuylkill, Berks, Chester, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties. This region is nationally significant for the role that its people, places, and events played in the American, Industrial, and Environmental Revolutions. The Heritage Area is home to over 3.2 million people across the five counties. Approximately 1.75 million people draw their drinking water directly from the River. A National Heritage Area is a place designated by the United States Congress where natural, cultural, historic and recreational resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally distinctive landscape. The Schuylkill River received this designation from Congress in 2000. The Schuylkill River watershed was designated a Pennsylvania Heritage Area by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in 1995. National Heritage Areas work to revitalize and restore the region through natural and cultural resource preservation, education, recreation, community revitalization, and heritage tourism. The legislation authorizing the Schuylkill River National Heritage Area is available from the Library of Congress. Schuylkill River Heritage Area is managed by the non-profit Schuylkill River Greenway Association. Founded in 1974 as an organization focused on the preservation of the riverfront in Berks and Schuylkill Counties, the organization has grown in its mission and geographic scope over the years. The Greenway Association is governed by a Board of Directors representing all five counties within the Heritage Area. Today, use of the name Schuylkill River Greenway Association is typically reserved for legal and financial purposes, and members of the Board and staff refer to the organization as Schuylkill River Heritage Area. The Heritage Area has a small but dedicated staff who works to administer the programs and projects identified our Management Plan. Members of the staff include: Kara Wilson - Schuylkill River Trail Steward Click on the staff persons name to send them an e-mail. Or you can use our generic e-mail contact form. The Heritage Area offices are located in the Schuylkill River Center in the Borough of Pottstown. The Schuylkill River Center is the centerpiece of the 30-acre municipally owned Riverfront Park in Pottstown. The building was built in 1911 as a switching station for Philadelphia Electric Company ( PECO ). Abandoned for much of the 1990s the building was purchased by the Borough in 1997 and converted to offices in 2000 with the assistance of the State, County, and local governments, and the Montgomery County Lands Trust. The Heritage Area relocated to the Center from Wyomissing in 2002. In 2009 the building was purchased by Montgomery County Community College.
