Photo Walk: Alvira Bunkers
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Background on the Alvira Bunkers
Today, very few people living in Union County know of the important historical events that occurred 17 miles northwest of Lewisburg near Allenwood. Few have ever heard of Alvira, a town of about 400 residents, and know how it was wiped off the map in 1942.
In 1941, during World War II, the U. S. Federal Government decided it needed to ramp up production of weapons and determined the land where Alvira lay was a good site for a huge TNT plant. The site had the necessary good road, rail line, and a good source of water in the Susquehanna River. In early 1942, with very little input from the 400 residents, the Federal Government forced the families to sell their properties to the government and vacate their lands. Many refused and were removed at gunpoint. The Federal Government confiscated over 8000 acres. Soon bulldozers leveled almost every building in the town and hundreds of workers constructed a huge TNT plant. To store the ammunition created by the plant, they built 149 huge dome-shaped steel and concrete bunkers. After WWII, the plant was dismantled. Almost everything is gone today except the bunkers. Also saved were the old Alvira Cemetery and a church.
Even though the residents were promised they could buy back their lands after the war, the Federal Government decided to use part of the land to create Allenwood Federal Penitentiary and sell the rest to state and local governments. Today, the Lycoming County Landfill is on part of the land. Also, the White Deer Golf Course is on another part. The section with the 150 bunkers was sold to the State of Pennsylvania to create State Game lands 252.
The Photo Hike
With that as background, I want to discuss the Saturday July 8th photo hike. Since the bunkers are on State Game Lands, they are on public property and we can visit and go inside many of them legally. Many bunkers are in excellent shape considering they are over 80 years old. My first time inside one, I was impressed by the size of the bunkers. They are huge, some are 150 feet across! On the hike we will explore three or four of the bunkers. Great opportunities for photos! You may wish to bring a flashlight as there is no lighting in the bunkers. Also, you may wish to bring a flash unit for your camera. Also, we will drive a short distance and hike to the old Alvira Cemetery. Many tombstones are of the U.S. Civil War era. In 1942 they stopped burying people there and buried people in the new Alvira Cemetery. There are many interesting tombstones.
Where to Meet:
We will meet and start at the Bunkers’ parking lot at 10 am SHARP Saturday July 8th. The rain date is 10 am Sunday July 9th.
Following the directions is critical! Many maps show roads that you might want to use but are gated and blocked due to the fact the bunkers are on State Game Lands that neighbor the Allenwood Federal Prison.
Directions to the Alvira Bunkers:
- Drive north on U.S. 15 to Allenwood (about 11 miles) and turn left at the red light on to Route 44 west. Check your odometer at the red light!
- Drive 4.2 miles on Route 44 until Mill Road is on the right side. Unfortunately, Mill Road doesn’t have a sign! And the turn looks like one is turning into a farmer’s driveway! Mill Road starts between a brown stained-wood farmhouse and a red barn on the other side of Mill Road. Look for the brown stained-wood house and immediately turn right after it. This turn is easy to miss so watch your odometer carefully!
- Once on Mill Road going north, wind around for about 2 miles until a STOP sign at Alvira Road. Turn right onto Alvira Road.
- Drive on Alvira Road east a mile or two until you see the following parking lot on the left. Park near my red Nissan Rogue.
What to wear?
Wear study boots for hiking, e.g., hiking boots. Some of the bunkers are wet and muddy inside. We will be hiking on easy level ground for about a half mile total. However, you will not be able to avoid walking in high grass! So you must be prepared for ticks. Wear LONG PANTS! This is tick season and tick city! Tuck your pant legs inside your boot socks and spray your socks and pant legs with insect repellent. A hat will help with the Sun. No shade on the hike. This is hunting land so wear bright colors like orange! Luckily, nothing worth hunting is in season! Crows, starlings, skunks, coyotes and similar non-game animals are the only critters in season.
What to bring?
- A good flashlight. It’s dark inside the bunkers. Also, the flashlight can be used for light painting.
- A bottle of water. It will be hot on the hike! But cool inside the bunkers.😊 Ahhh!
- Bug spray to spray your pant legs and socks to repel ticks.
- Your camera. No tripod needed. Bring a flash or use your camera’s built-in flash to take photos of the graffiti.
- Your cell phone.
- Digital recorder if you have one. The echos inside the bunkers are amazing!! I used my camera in video mode to record the sound.
We will stick together! PA State Game Lands 252 is huge and is criss-crossed with a network of dirt roads that all look the same! It is very easy to get lost if you wander off by yourself. This area is dense with foliage. A few feet into the brush and you no longer can see or find the road.
For those who need more information about the town of Alvira and the World War II bunkers visit the PA Bucket List article on the Alvira Bunkers.