Gordon, PA

Gordon is a Schuylkill County borough on the north side of Interstate 81, in a valley below Broad Mountain. The community’s early map followed the old Center Turnpike and coal traffic over Gordon Plane, completed in 1855 to lift coal cars across the mountain. Rail service reached Gordon in 1867; the borough separated from Butler Township and incorporated in 1891. Its name honors David F. Gordon, a Reading judge, while the oldest streets and churches grew around the valley’s work routes. The valley’s coal history remains visible in Gordon Plane and the older churches.

North Schuylkill School District serves Gordon, and the borough’s municipal building, fire company, churches, ball park, playground, and fishing pier on Little Mahanoy Creek give the small place a recognizable civic map. The creek section sees fishermen during Pennsylvania trout season. HighRidge Business Park and Federal Correctional Institution/Schuylkill sit near the I-81 borders, adding current institutional and work sites to the older coal landscape. Gordon is a borough where mountain transport history meets county schools and local services.