Potter County will get its moment in the spotlight this week with a program aired on the Pennsylvania Cable Network.
The 30-minute program, part of PCN’s Historic Courthouses series, will debut at 7 p.m. Thursday and will air again at 2 p.m. Saturday.
“It was a real honor of them choosing us and coming up here,” said Potter County Historical Society President David Castano, who served as a host along with Potter County Commissioner Paul Heimel.
Scenes were filmed May 18 and included history of the local judicial system, the old safes in the courthouse and sensational court cases, Castano said.
“The producers were very interested in Potter County’s connections to crimefighter Eliot Ness, the infamous thieves known as the Brinks Gang, famous musician Ole Bull and other local story lines,” Heimel said.
Filming took about eight hours and showcased in and around the courthouse, nearby sections of Coudersport with architecture or historical significance and the Potter County Historical Society Museum.
Appearing in the film will be county President Judge Stephen Minor; 102-year-old Tillie Masolotte, who served as a court reporter for 40 to 45 years; Ed Thompson, who winds the courthouse clock every eight days; local resident Alex Fish; and prothonotary Kim Schaar.
“I see this as an opportunity to not only celebrate the county’s history, but also draw attention to many of the county’s attractions and interesting storylines or connections that have been shown to attract visitors,” Heimel said. “There’s also a lot of pride among the citizens of Potter County, and this is an opportunity to celebrate what is often referred to as the Crown Jewel of the County Seat.”
Castano said he was impressed with the camera work required for the film, especially during the heavy road construction along U.S. Route 6 in the borough. Crew members also had to lug equipment up the wooden stairs of the courthouse’s tower.
All told, he said that everything turned out well during the filming. “It was a beautiful day. The lighting and everything was perfect,” Castano said.
Castano is no stranger to public speaking; he worked as an art teacher in the Coudersport Area School District.
“I’m used to keeping my mouth running and spewing out facts,” Castano said, adding that he also gives talks for the historical society.
Heimel was the driving force behind the PCN production crew traveling to Potter County, Castano said.
“Our courthouse was selected on the merit of the application that we submitted, which included many historical references to which people could relate as well as fascinating anecdotes and the interesting architecture and history of the building itself,” Heimel said.
Other courthouses to have been featured on PCN’s Historic Courthouses program include Adams County and Juniata County.
This isn’t Coudersport’s first foray into being featured on TV. The town and its people were showcased on PCN’s Our Town series several years ago.
“PCN has a good sense of preserving history,” Castano said.
