Athens Borough

Geography, Topography, and History

Athens Borough is located near the center of the northern border of the County. The Borough went through several revisions in regards to its current boundary. Today the Borough is bounded to the east by the Susquehanna Border that separates Athens Township, to the south by Sheshequin Township, to the West by the Chemung River, which again separates the Borough from Athens Township, and to the north by Sayre Borough. As Athens Borough is part of the locally coined “valley”, it is situated on a flat plain, while it is surrounded by mountainous terrain on its eastern and western borders. A major thoroughfare for the Borough is US Route 220, running north and south through the Borough and alongside it.

In 1837, Athens Borough was officially formed and taken from Athens Township. As the Township was formed nearly four decades prior to the Borough, the two share a lot of historical data. The first post office, which is located in the current boundary of the Borough, was established in 1800.

Local Government and Current Data

There is an elected mayor and seven councilmen that govern Athens Borough. Currently, there is a planning commission intact with 9 members. In 2003, the planning commission passed a comprehensive plan, and is also responsible for providing zoning regulations throughout the Borough. All of the land developments and subdivisions follow the Office of Planning for Bradford County standards.

The Borough of Athens is a busy community located in the “valley” with many services and amenities. The borough is home to the Athens School District buildings. The Athens Spalding Memorial Library is open to the public regularly Monday through Saturday. The Borough has many parks that are open to the public, including: the Academy Lot Park, Athens Area High School Park, Athens Borough Park, Harlan Rowe Middle School Park, Lynch Elementary Park, Main Elementary Park, Round Top Park, Teaoga Square Park, and Valley Recreation Center. There is a farmers market that is open May through October at the Teaoga Square Park. The following religious chapels are located in the Borough: the St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church, Trinity Church, His Majesty Fellowship, First Presbyterian Church, Unitarian Universalist Church of Athens & Sheshequin, Athens United Methodist Church, and Calvary Baptist Church.

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