About Jim Thorpe

Mauch Chunk was founded in 1818 by the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company and rapidly became a railroad and coal-shipping centre. The population in 1900 was 4,020 and in 1910 it was 3,952. The city was the location of the trial of the Molly Maguires in 1876, which resulted in the hanging of four whom were found guilty of murder. The history of the town is inscribed in the architecture that makes up its many 19th century styles. Former resident and architectural historian Hans Egli noted the vast range of architectural styles: Federalist, to Greek Revival, Second Empire, Romanesque Revival, Queen Anne, and Richardsonian Romanesque. Fortunately, most of these architectural examples remain completely intact and were only covered in unimaginative "modern" siding that has since been removed.