Old Smokestacks

Old Smokestacks Photo by Molly Briana McMullen (April 7, 2016)
“Old Smokestacks,” Photo by Molly Briana McMullen (April 7, 2016)

The scars of deindustrialization have marred Wilkes-Barre since the collapse of the coal industry. The smokestacks, though not a remnant of mining, serve as a reminder of what a booming area this used to be. Just off of North Pennsylvania Avenue and only a few blocks from the Public Square, the stacks blend into the cityscape so well that many people overlook them altogether. Even students who attend the nearby colleges haven’t taken the time to notice them. In them, there is no promise of return or revitalization; they are only a skeleton of what once was. Revitalization will have to come from elsewhere.

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