On any given weekend in Jim Thorpe, tourists wind their way along Broadway, visiting shops and restaurants, enjoying the historic atmosphere of downtown. And what catches everyone’s eye is the amazing architecture of the homes along what is called “Millionaire’s Row.”

Some of the biggest names in the town’s history made their homes here: Alexander W. Butler, one of Mauch Chunk’s early bankers; Milo M. Dimmick; a judge, congressman, and lawyer; and Allen Craig, a district judge, and state lawmaker, serving in both the House and Senate.

Recently, the Dimmick Memorial Library hosted the “Historic Homes of Jim Thorpe Tour,” which featured nine homes, plus the library and the Mauch Chunk Opera House. The tour was a fundraiser for the library, and according to Library Director Kara Edmonds was a success.

“We are really excited about this,” said Edmonds. “We had 190 people pick up tickets at the library for the tour, although more tickets were sold. We earned $8,100 from the event, including merchandise, tickets, and other sale items.”

The homes’ owners greeted visitors, showing them around the homes and sharing their histories.

Leo and Judy Marzen grew up in East Jim Thorpe, or Mauch Chunk as it was known in the early days. Leo’s father started Marzen Hardware on Center Street, which is now run by his brothers. Connecticut is where they call home these days, but they purchased the Brodhead Mansion at 80 Broadway in 2020 and spend every second or third weekend at the house.

“The original part of the house was built in 1827 and is one of the oldest homes in Jim Thorpe,” Leo said. “The annex was added in 1871 by A.G. Brodhead, and that made it into an eight-bedroom home. Over the years they added 4½ bathrooms.”

Brian Evans and Liza Ezbiansky purchased the house at 24 West Broadway, known as the Craig Mansion, named after Allen and Belle Craig. According to Evans, the earliest recorded date of the house is 1856.

“We’re trying to go through a historic renovation of it, and put it back into its original condition,” Evans said. “Stripping down the word work to its original base. For me, matching the workmanship from the old style, doing the woodwork with all the intricacies of how they used to do things, so different from they are now. Doing that work and maintenance are the hardest things.”

For Carol Walbert, owner of The Butler Homestead at 87 Broadway, owning a home of this age is a challenge. Her home dates to 1868, and is considered one of the more modern homes.

“It had central heat from the very beginning, “ Walbert said. “The two fireplaces you see are just decorative. It had speaking tubes, it had indoor plumbing, from the very beginning. Caring for this type of home is a challenge; there’s always something you have to do. We just finished working on the backyard, and that took a year.”

Edmonds plans to hold the tour again next year.

“We hope to do it in 2024 and include new houses on the tour,” she said.