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Constructed in 1853, the Potter County Courthouse is
full of history. A portion of that will be told when the Pennsylvania Cable
Network programs debuts at 7 pm Thursday, Sept. 14. David Castano, president of
the Potter County Historical Society, discussed the historic Statue of Justice
now protected from the elements and on display in the lobby. A replica appears
atop the courthouse.
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A program about Potter County history and
interesting features for visitors will be aired in millions of Pennsylvania
households at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14. It will also be shown at 2 p.m. Saturday,
Sept. 16.
A production crew from the Pennsylvania Cable
Network spent two days in Coudersport earlier this summer filming local scenes
and conducting interviews as part of PCN’s Historic Courthouses series.
Major focus is on the Potter County Courthouse,
which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. However, Historical
Society President David Castano and Commissioner Paul Heimel, as hosts, made
sure the 30-minute program spotlighted stories and attractions that would be of
interest to tourists.
Filming took place in and around the courthouse, as
well as nearby sections of Coudersport with interesting architecture or
historical significance. The crew also filmed at the Potter County Historical
Society Museum.
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Producers from the Pennsylvania Cable Network film
narrators David Castano (left) and Paul Heimel outside the Potter County
Courthouse. The program on the 156-year-old courthouse and many chapters in
local history will be broadcast at 7 pm Thursday, Sept. 14, on PCN.
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“The producers were very interested in Potter
County’s connections to crimefighter Eliot Ness, the infamous thieves known as
the Brinks Gang, famous musician Ole Bull, and other local story lines,”
Commissioner Heimel said.
Castano, who was the narrator and tour guide, shared
colorful stories about local history, including the public execution of
wife-killer Joshua Jones – whose skull is on display at the museum – and the
fierce political battle that preceded the construction of the 156-year-old
courthouse.
Among local familiar faces appearing in the program are
Judge Stephen Minor, Tillie Masolotte, Ed Thompson, Alex Fish and Kim Schaar.
“We were pleased to hear from the crew that this was
one of the most interesting shows they’ve worked on since the courthouse series
began several years ago,” Heimel pointed out. “One of them said the biggest
challenge was assessing the volume of material they collected to determine what
would make the cut for a half-hour program.”
PCN is carried locally on channel 22 of the Zito
Media cable system. The program will be rebroadcast numerous times after Thursday’s
debut.
