Alvira, State Game Lands 252, & Vicinity

Alvira, The Ordnance, The Bunkers, & The Surrounding Area

Normally I do indexes by town - Milton Pa, Danville Pa, etc.  But this area is unique, in that it is land taken by the government for the "War Effort".  The Susquehanna Ordnance Works was constructed here, and operated for a whole 11 months before the government realized the need for it had been "over estimated."  The land, which residents had been told would be returned after the war, was deemed contaminated, and never returned.  We tend to refer to this area as Alvira, as that was one of the towns destroyed - but it was only part of what was taken.  Today, this area is State Game Lands 252, a golf course, a landfill, and Federal Prison Grounds.  Some of it is in Union County, Some in Lycoming.  

Here are some of the stories from this area.

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(Sign shared in the comments on one of my fb posts)

The Susquehanna Ordnance Works, The Bunkers,

 & Other Failed Ventures

History Of  The Bunkers	Photos Of The Oridinance Works Remains On The Prison Grounds	Uranium In the Bunkers
Ground Not Suitable For An Air Force Base	This rocking chair is made, at least in part, from an explosives crate from the Ordnance Works	The Government also took over a steel plant in Danville

On September 14th 2026,  Penn Live posted an article stating that all but 16 of the old TNT bunkers at Alvira will be destroyed.  

For those of you asking How/When/If it is true - I simply do not know.  

I have a lot of questions, including, did you all know that "those on the prison property were blown up"???  I knew some still existed on the prison property - when were they blown up??  (If this were April, I'd think this was an April Fools joke.  How did I now know this?] The article goes on to add "That method will not be used for those on the game land"

 In the PennLive Article, Steven Huddy is quoted as saying an attempt in the 1970s to destroy one of the igloos failed.

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Alvira, Before The Bunkers

1938 Aerial Photo	Alvira Before The Bunkers Stories , History, & Photos

 A Facebook Album Of Alvira Photos & Posts

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The Stone Church At Alvira

Today On The Federal Prison Grounds

In May of 2023, at the Memorial Day Services held outdoors in the cemetery, the Montgomery Historical Society announced that they had received a letter from the prison saying the church is a "hard hat area" only.  Although not condemned, the stone work in the tower entrance is crumbling, and gatherings can no longer be held inside.    As of this time, there is no plan to to anything. The prison will not tear down the church, but they also do not have the funding to repair it - it will just be left to stand until it falls down on its own, unless a group can organize and raise the money for repairs.

The county has purchased some of the land near the area of the church, but they decided not to purchase the church and cemetery, ownership will be retained by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Early history of the Stone Church in Alvira From: The Susquehanna Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the United States History, 1867-1917	The Stone Church	2018 Candelight Christmas At The Stone Church
The Civil War Monument at the Stone Church Cemetery	The Delaney's - Victims of Axe Murderer William Hummel, are memorialized in the Stone Church Cemetery. See More Here.	Rev. Diettrich was a circuit preacher, serving for a time at the Stone Church in old Alvira. This is his memoir.  See more here

Photos of the Cemetery, from 2023

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Cemeteries On The Game Lands

& History From The Churches That Once Stood With Them

Alvira Cemetery Right along the south side of Alvira Road, past the maintenance sheds.	Pine Knot, or Messiah Church Cemetery  Hidden from the road, this older cemetery is just barely south east of the newer Alvira Cemetery	Washington Presbyterian Cemetery At the end of Alvira Road when you come to the prison gate, the cemetery is on the left [north]
Daniel Shuey,  148th Pa Infantry, in the old Washington Presbyterian Church Cemetery. Daniel has this marker here, and also a larger monument at Boalsburg.  He died June 3rd 1874, from injuries sustained at Gettysburg.	2019 Fire	Here Lies A Confederate Bullet

The Matthew Brown Memorial

The Brown Monument, Or Brown Cemetery, today on...  Federal Prison Land. I hesitate, because no matter which answer I give, people will yell at me that I am wrong.  I'm 90% confident this is on Federal Prison Ground.  But it's on the border.

 In July 1776, Matthew Brown was a member of the State Convention that formed the Pennsylvania State Constitution of 1776. He also served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War.

Read more about him, and see his cemetery, here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2024/10/the-matthew-brown-marker-on-allenwood.html

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Visiting & Hiking At State Game Lands 252

On the 2024  Driving Tour	There are frequently sunflower fields in the Game Lands, great places to take photos!  Where exactly they are located changes from year to year.  This was where to find them in 2020.	2021 Walk In The Bunkers
Exploring The Game Lands	Shooting Range At The Game Lands	Gamelands 252 The Map

 

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Books , A Movie,  & Other Resources

Photos From  Around Montgomery Borough: 1940-1990	Alvira & the Ordnance By Paul Metzger Contact the Montgomery Historical Society	Photos From Union County River Towns
Watch A Trailer for the movie	Surrender shown at the Campus Theater 2019	Aerial & Lidar Views

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READ MORE

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The Plant Finder: An Inventory of Government-owned Industrial Plants, Listed by States, Indexed by Lessees Or Operators, Classified by Products Or Functions; General Manufacturing Plants Indexed by Sizes and States. United States, n.p, 1947.

The Army Almanac: A Book of Facts Concerning the United States Army. United States, Stackpole Company, 1959.

United States Army Installations and Major Activities in the Continental United States. United States, Headquarters, Department of the Army., 1955.