Chief Shikellamy profile gazebo repaired

May 30—SUNBURY — The gazebo along Front Street to view Chief Shikellamy's profile is repaired.

The elevated gazebo was closed after a motorcyclist crashed into it in the fall, damaging the steps and decking, and drove off without reporting it. The viewing area was built nearly 60 years ago because it is said that Chief Shikellamy's profile can be seen in the mountain range across the Susquehanna River.

"You see people from time to time stop there from out of state and they're taking pictures," said City Councilman Jim Eister, director of parks and recreation. "It's a place people like to stop."

The gazebo is located along Front Street next to the flood wall near Julia Street.

The gazebo was rebuilt with new stairs and deck, power washed and is back open to the public, said Eister.

The original viewing platform was erected in that location by the Sunbury Lion's Club in 1964. It has been repaired and rebuilt several times over the years.

A plaque was placed in June 2004. It states, "If you stand on this spot and look across the Susquehanna River toward the bridge on the right, you can see the face of Chief Shikellamy profiled in the cliff above the opposite shore.

Visible are his hairline, forehead and nose. In colonial times, the Iroquois Indians claimed control of this valley by right of conquest. They sent Shikellamy here to serve as their territorial administrator over other tribes living in the region during the mid-1700s. His efforts helped in extending the peach that Pennsylvania founder William Penn established in the 1680s between Native Americans and European settlers. Shikellamy died in 1748 and was buried a quarter-mile north of here. A monument along North Front Street honors his memory and is located near his grave, which is now unmarked."

The project cost $2,500 to complete. The contractor Aaron Barner Home Improvements was assisted by city crews, said Eister.

The price may increase slight because the gazebo needs to be stained still. An invoice has not been received with the exact amount yet, said city Administrator Derrick Backer.