The pressure on Pennsylvania legislators to bring grant dollars back to their districts seemingly grows more intense each year.

Despite the competitive nature of the first statewide Local Share Account grant round, one local project “just made sense,” according to state Sen. Dave Argall.

Argall and state Rep. Doyle Heffley were in Jim Thorpe borough on Tuesday to discuss the $300,000 the municipality received for repairs to the historic Asa Packer Mansion.

The biggest ticket item will be a roof replacement, but according to borough officials the mansion also needs heating improvements including a gas furnace and heat pump replacement; decking replacement; and electrical upgrades.

“People have been visiting that mansion since the 1950s,” Argall said. “It was drawing people before the white-water rafting and the paintball and all of the buildings were restored downtown in Jim Thorpe. When you have a property that unique and that special, you have to save it.”

The 1860s Italianate Villa style mansion was home to Asa Packer, founder of the of the Lehigh Valley Railroad and Lehigh University. It averaged 14,693 visitors per year over the last three years including 2021 when it was only open part-time due to COVID-19.

Curator Ava Bretzik, who has been at the mansion for 47 years, said if it wasn’t for the help of Argall and Heffley, the grant funding would not have been possible.

“That house is not just a home,” Bretzik said. “This man was a Congressman, a judge, a gubernatorial candidate and Pennsylvania’s Democratic nomination for president of the United States. He and his family cared more about the town and the people than they did about themselves, which was very rare for the wealthy in this time period.”

When Argall visited the mansion last summer, borough officials said estimates from engineering firm Barry Isett Associates showed the mansion needs about $650,000 of capital improvement work and when you factor in project contingencies and engineering costs, the total rises to $762,500. The roof replacement is pegged at $320,000.

Barry Isett helped put the LSA grant application together at no cost to the borough.

“Every community has an anchor and the mansion is one of those here in Jim Thorpe,” Heffley said. “When you go through the mansion, it takes you back to that Victorian age. It’s always a great experience to sit on that iconic porch. There aren’t too many places that you can go in this country and experience what you can at the mansion. It’s been a privilege to work with Sen. Argall on this grant funding.”

Last week, Jim Thorpe’s council said it planned to have several manufacturing companies look at the roof to tell it why they believe it failed and what they think needs to be done.

“It’s important to remember where we came from and the mansion has a lot of history,” Council President Greg Strubinger said, “Sometimes things in your backyard you take for granted, but this is a jewel we need to continue to take care of. The Packers have such a historic significance on a national level and we’re lucky to have this mansion right here in Jim Thorpe.”

Though part of another grant it acquired, Jim Thorpe approved nearly $11,000 last week for drainage repairs and a carpet replacement at the mansion.