Monroe County Historical Association

Welcome to Stroudsburg

Originally published 1999.
Updated by the MCHA in April 2017

The borough of Stroudsburg is located at the confluence of the Pocono, McMichael and Brodhead creeks. Fort Hamilton, at the site of present-day Stroudsburg, was one of a line of forts built in the middle of the 18th century by the Pennsylvania government to protect settlers from Indian attacks. The area's first white inhabitant, Daniel Brodhead, settled in about 1735, but his Dansbury Mission was attacked and destroyed by local Indians in 1755.

Five years later, in 1760, Jacob Stroud, a former indentured servant, settled on land along the three creeks, the flow of which later powered his gristmills and sawmills. After another Indian attack -- the bloody Wyoming Valley Massacre of 1778 -- Stroud built a stockade around his house and large land holdings. The Stroud compound became known as Fort Penn, located on what is today the 500 block of Main Street.

When Stroud died in 1806, his son, Daniel, inherited the land that later became Stroudsburg. He laid out streets named for his relatives: Ann, Elizabeth, Sarah, Franklin, Jacob and William. Lots sold quickly and Stroudsburg was incorporated in 1815. Daniel Stroud's donation of land to religious organizations attracted Presbyterians, Methodists and Quakers, all of whom established houses of worship here in the early 19th century.

In 1836, Stroudsburg was chosen as the seat of the newly formed Monroe County and became the county's leading market town. The borough grew steadily throughout the 18th century as lumber mills, tanneries, textile mills, railroads and eventually vacationers contributed to the area's economy.

The region has seen great changes in the 20th century. With many of the older industries gone, Stroudsburg and the Poconos now rely on an almost exclusively tourist-based economy. Reminders of our history exist in Stroudsburg's historic architecture and surrounding landscapes, from terra cotta panels that grace many of downtown's late 19th century buildings, to slate sidewalks, to unexpected glimpses of water and hills.

This walking tour is intended to guide you on your own discovery of our historic treasurers. At a leisurely pace, this is about a 60-minute walk. To make the walk shorter, focus on just the National Register sites and local landmarks. Enjoy the tour and please respect the privacy of building owners and occupants.

Note: The Academy Hill Historic District, a 19th-century residential neighborhood listed in the National Register of Historic Places, is located just two blocks north of Main Street. You may wish to continue your walking tour of historic Stroudsburg by strolling Sarah, Thomas and Scott streets.

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The Historic Stroudsburg Walking Tour was developed by Susan Nabors, Kathryn Piff, Acey Lee, and Terese Gausman. It was a project of the Jacob Stroud Corporation, sponsored by PP&L and the County of Monroe.

This project would not have been possible without the kind assistance and past work of Janet Mishkin, Andy Wolf, Janet Wetzel, Candace McGreevy, Jeffrey Wright, and the Monroe County Historical Association. A special thanks to Bruce Thomas, Chairperson of Art and Architecture, Lehigh University.