BY JILL WHALEN

jwhalen@tnonline.com

Carolee Smith recalls her father gathering the family together for Sunday drives to the South Tamaqua area.

She’d peer from the back seat window and take in the sights.

“I remember driving by here as a kid and always wondering what was on the other side of this bridge,” Smith said.

The single lane bridge spans the Little Schuylkill River to connect Route 309 to the tiny village of Houserville.

Three years ago, Smith purchased the bridge and the 10 acres of land containing Houserville.

Since then, she’s been welcoming guests from near and far to “The Village at Houser’s Crossing.”

Visitors stay at a restored Sears and Roebuck catalog home, which Smith has christened the Sears Riverhouse.

The ranch-style home she calls “Butchie’s Bungalow,” and the one-bedroom escape is known as “The Treetop Loft.”

Visitors come to see trains chug along Reading and Northern Railroad tracks, just steps away, or to fly fish from secluded areas along the river.

Others stay to enjoy the area’s history or explore the 3,400 acres of bordering state game lands.

“I tell everybody that when you drive over the bridge, it’s like you leave your troubles there,” said Smith of New Tripoli. “It’s like you leave (Route 309) and you’re transformed.”

Smith could have leveled the properties and built new, however, she wanted to keep the village’s history and charm intact.

“Since 2021, we have been focused on restoring and sharing the village and its history with our guests,” Smith said.

What followed were extensive renovations and additions to the buildings — from new floors and bathrooms to hand-selected antique furniture and modern appliances.

“Our accommodations are very high-end, Smith said. “I thought, ‘I’m only doing this once. I’m remodeling it and I’m doing it right.’”

Smith said Charles and Kathryn Houser settled on the property in the early 1900s, and raised five children by farming and coal mining.

The Sears home arrived in the 1930s and replaced the original log cabin.

Delivered to the Tamaqua Train Station, its was transported by horse and wagon, and erected on site.

As with the other properties, the home had become worn. Smith gave the place an interior and exterior face-lift.

A one-bedroom penthouse is on the top floor, and the downstairs has two bedrooms and two bathrooms.

Both can suit short- or long-term stays.

“Our cabinets are stocked,” Smith said. “We have dishes and cooking and baking items.

“We have every cooking utensil you could ever need — even a potato masher.”

The first level also has an expansive porch with views of the mountains, the railroad tracks and river — as well as what Smith calls the “Magical Fern Meditation Garden.”

In the winter, Smith adds a decorated Christmas tree.

“It’s just so peaceful,” Smith said.

The second house — the bungalow — was built for the Housers’ son, Charles, and his family.

It sleeps up to four, and, like the other properties, has modern amenities including an Xbox 360 system.

The loft was built by the Housers late great-grandson, Tim, and comes with a heated bathroom floor.

Smith said Tim’s father, Jim Hain, who is one of the Housers’ grandsons, last owned the property.

While he sold it to Smith, Hain, 91, continues to be a part of his family’s homestead by cutting the grass and riding his ATV on the trails surrounding the property when he visits.

“With Jim still involved, it really is the best of both worlds,” Smith said. “We really try to keep all the history together, and keep the Houser legacy living on.”

She believes The Village at Houser’s Crossing is the only railroad and coal patch town to have been restored.

“The others all kind of disappeared,” Smith said.

To recognize the work, the Anthracite Cultural Board recognized the site with a historic marker last year.

Smith said the village has hosted visitors from as far away as Australia, Croatia and France. There have been return guests, too, like groups from New England and Ohio.

“We’ve been blessed with wonderful guests,” Smith said.

The property continues to evolve. Visitors can sign up for massages and yoga classes, or stop by a lighted picnic grove, fire pit and chaise lounges by the river.

Plus, Smith, her husband, Oliver, or their sons, Jacob and Carter, will take guests on a UTV ride through the property.

It’s a way to familiarize them with everything the village has to offer, Smith said.

Last year, two separate crews shot scenes for movies at the property.

In June 2023, Millman Productions of California and Cannon Fire Productions of Scranton filmed clips for “12 to Midnight.”

A month later, Outhouse Productions of Tamaqua arrived to capture footage for “Dream Devil.”

The lights, cameras and action were exciting, Smith said, just like the recent 3-year anniversary celebration.

The affair brought Smith’s family and friends, along with former and current guests.

Smith is pleased with her decision to finally know what is on the other side of the bridge.

“It is like a retreat, a sanctuary to escape to,” Smith said. “And it feels like home.”

For more information, visit houserscrossing.com.