By Jeffrey Allen Federowicz
Where neglect and decay once lived, a bright
future now resides.
Before there were empty rooms, cracked
windows and broken dreams. Repair, pride and college students
have replaced them.
Student housing in the Williamsport Historic
District once (and still in a few instances) had a less then
passing reputation as rundown, overcrowded party palaces. While
many people have worked diligently to erase that mindset and
replace it with a positive one, two brothers stand out from the
crowd.
Andy and Edward Lyon have spent the last 10
years restoring once grand homes into safe and comfortable
student housing that also helps restore the Victorian charm of
yesteryear to the Historic District.
"Some of these homes and mansions were
deplorable and in such bad shape," Edward said. "You would hear
all sorts of horror stories about the tenants that were living
in here before and the things that they did to the rentals. It
was sad the condition these places were in."
The brothers first became interested in
playing Monopoly with real buildings, when their father, Edward
Lyon, Sr., first purchased a property on West Fourth Street.
Each brother now has his own investments and fellow business
partners involved in Historic District renovations. In addition
they also work together on some family projects. Altogether, the
brothers and their partners are involved with housing for nearly
700 students.
Countless hours of removing layers of filth
and grime, matched with equal amounts of time spent replacing
plumbing, improving heating systems and general repair were just
a few of the tasks tacked. Work with city planners, architects,
codes and other safety issues were dealt with, in addition to
finical investments that not only were in the homes, but also
the city's history.
"I think this area has so much to offer, not
just for college students, but for the young professionals and
older people as well," said Andy Lyon. "There is not one place
that my brother or I are involve with that I would not mind
living in. Some of these homes have huge ceilings, ornate
modeling and fixtures and a lot of detail work you do not find
in current homes."
A trip down Third and Fourth streets in the
Historic District offers glimpses of the grand homes that the
brothers and their respective partners have interest in. These
include many homes in the 700 to 1000 blocks, which also offer
prime examples of Victorian architecture.
"There is a lot of work and money was needed
to preserve these magnificent homes," Edward said. "I think the
generation that is enrolled in college now realizes the
historical value these homes have to the city. You can also see
the way that the students we rent to respect and care for the
places they are staying in. That is something that has certainly
changed over the years and I also think the public in general is
also realizing how important this area is to the city."
Although the majority of tenets are college
students enrolled at the nearby Penn College, Edward estimates
about five percent are young professionals who like the idea of
living in safe and historic homes.
"My partners and I never doubted in this area
of the city and we knew these homes could be transformed into
safe and viable parts of the community," Edward said.
Helping to maintain the high standards, a
full time staff of four works year round while a small army of
construction workers, painters and other carpenters work during
the summer months when most of the apartments are vacant during
the summer break.
"We are always working on something, whether
it be working with the codes department, repainting or replacing
fixtures. There is never any rest," Andy said. “ Sure, this
earns us a living, but it is more than just that. Preserving
these homes is the best part of this business. Seeing a place
that has been nearly trashed and fixing it up to something that
when people drive by they go, 'Wow. Look at that house!' is an
amazing feeling. It makes all the hard work we put into this
worth it."