Former orphanage up for auction on May 24
May 6—SUNBURY — The former orphanage and former Youth Challenge outside of Sunbury is up for auction on May 24.
Auctioneer Jeffrey S. Dunkelberger, of Paxinos, will host an open house for the former Youth Challenge Bible Institute at 1810 Snydertown Road in Upper Augusta Township at 5 p.m. May 9. The real estate auction for the buildings and more than 40 acres of land will be held at 6 p.m. May 24.
"We've been in business for 32 years," said Dunkelberger. "More and more of our clientele are reaching out for us to auction these historical buildings off. We've already had five or six people call about it and it's only been up for maybe a week. We've been getting a lot more interest online."
Dunkelberger would not disclose the name of the property owner, but public records in the Northumberland County Courthouse indicate the property is owned by Michael Bishop, of Mikal Properties LLC, who purchased the property in June 2021 for $145,000.
The buildings on the site include a three-story administration building, with offices and classrooms; separate women's and men's dormitories; a two-story education building; and 13 regents apartments. Abandoned in 2004, the buildings at the time of the purchase in 2021 had water damage, chipping paint, broken windows, dirty carpets, dead animals and feces inside and other issues.
While the property owner has made improvements, "It is still rough," said Dunkelberger. "It's a shame, as old as it is."
The open house on May 9 is an opportunity for interested buyers to walk through the building and view the property from the inside. A representative of Mikal Properties will be on site, said Dunkelberger.
Records from both the Northumberland County Historical Society and archives of The Daily Item show that the Independent Order of Odd Fellowship in Central Pennsylvania built and chartered the original property as an orphanage in 1896 with the first children admitted in 1897. In its first 35 years, 644 children were fed, clothed and educated at the facility.
By 1970, the facility shut down due to increasing expenses of meeting state requirements. The property was purchased in 1972 by Teen Challenge Institute, a nonprofit affiliated with the Home Missions Department of Assemblies of God that trained personnel for staffing its varied programs designed to rehabilitate troubled youth and those struggling with addiction. Teen Challenge in 1981 changed its name to Youth Challenge.
After 31 years, Youth Challenge in 2004 decided to relocate out of the area. The intention was to sell the property, but a major sale fell through weeks before the facility was closed. It was never resold. Efforts to sell, revitalize and rehabilitate the buildings and property continued throughout the last 18 years.
An effort in 2006 to convert the buildings to house and rehabilitate homeless veterans fell through after the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs changed plans for the location.
The property was almost sold in 2008 when the institute backed out of a deal with Firetree Ltd. to sell its property. Firetree intended to convert the buildings into a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility, which did not fit the criteria stated by the Upper Augusta Township zoning ordinance. Township supervisors ruled that the Williamsport-based corporation's plans did not meet the definition and rejected the permit application.
It was one of the sites considered in 2016 for a new Northumberland County Prison after the original one in Sunbury was destroyed in a fire in 2015. It was up for auction in 2018 but failed to sell — the minimum bid was $250,000.
Dunkelberger said the price the seller has in mind will not be disclosed. The seller has no restrictions on what the property can be used for, but buyers should check with the local zoning board about further restrictions.
The former orphanage will be auctioned on-site and online at hibid.com. Pre-bidding is already enabled.
