Swoyersville, Pennsylvania

Swoyersville is a borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,062 at the 2010 census. Swoyersville is located within the Wyoming Valley West School District.

History

The borough of Swoyersville was named for mine owner John Henry Swoyer. Originally called Swoyerville, the town held a special vote in the 1950s to decide whether to add an "s" to the town's name. The measure passed and the town name became Swoyersville.

Swoyersville's economy was formerly based on coal mining, until most of the town's mines ceased production in the 1950s. Work continued at the colliery on Main Street in Swoyersville well into the 1960s. In 1972, the town was severely flooded by the Susquehanna River in the aftermath of Hurricane Agnes. There was great concern at the time that many of the flooded abandoned mine tunnels, running underneath Swoyersville, would cave in. However, the cave-ins never occurred.

Geography

Swoyersville is located at 41°17′41″N 75°52′36″W / 41.294602°N 75.876684°W / 41.294602; -75.876684. According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.5 km²), all of it land.