Brownstown Borough

Dedicated Brownstowners know the origins of their community, which was carved from Lower Yoder Township and named for the Brown family, who settled there before the Civil War.

But some community advocates also point out the quirkier aspects of Brownstown history:

Gilbert and Habicht streets bear the names of early landowners Michael Gilbert and George Habicht Sr. Three streets initially were named after members of the Habicht family – George, Catherine and Elizabeth – although those thoroughfares now are called Gable, Crystal and Home streets.

The community’s population grew after the floods of 1889 and 1936 hit Johnstown.

Some say that’s because city dwellers climbed the hill in search of safety and later settled in Brownstown. One local songwriter dubbed Brownstown “the borough that floodwaters never touched.”