![]() The community even hosted President Ulysses S. Petroleum Centre was founded in 1866 and was once home to as many as 3,000 people. Petroleum Centre is another oil-boom community that once thrived in northwestern Pennsylvania. Petroleum Centre The Petroleum Center bank’s steps are the only remnant of what was once a bustling oil boom town. However, many of the buildings are continuing to fall into decay as the years’ pass. Today, the town’s owner is doing his best to maintain the site and turn it into a historic village, and a few people do live in the community. Yellow Dog Village was constructed in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, in the first decades of the 20th century to support the mines that were right outside of town.Įven as the mines closed, the community continued until it finally became abandoned in the early 2000s. ![]() Of all the places on this list, Yellow Dog Village might be the most like what you think of when you think of ghost towns. Yellow Dog Village Yellow Dog Village is a ghost town in western PA. There isn’t much left of Rausch Gap, though there are a few building foundations that can be found as well as a cemetery. Anthony’s Wilderness along a great rail trail. Today, the ruins of the community can be found in St. ![]() The community flourished, growing to as many as 1,000 residents, but was gone by 1910. Located in Lebanon County near the Appalachian Trail, Rausch Gap was formed in 1828. Rausch Gap is another abandoned Pennsylvania town that got its start as a coal mining community. If you walk through the forested trails of the Scotia Barrens, you might even find more hidden ruins of this ghost town. The largest still-remaining area consists of several concrete buildings that once served the mining operations, as well as the old railroad grade. While much of this Pennsylvania ghost town has disappeared, there are still remnants if you know where to look for them. Today, the land that was once Scotia has been reclaimed by nature and is now part of State Game Lands 176 in Centre County. Located near State College, Scotia was once a mining community that supported both the nearby iron industry and, later, Carnegie Steel operations. Scotia The ruins of Scotia can be found hidden away on state game lands near State College. The old streets of Pithole are regularly mowed, allowing visitors to move through this ghost town. A visitor center is located at the corner of town which offers a fascinating look at this short-lived community. Today, Pithole is just an empty field near Oil Creek State Park. By the census of 1870, less than 250 people lived in Pithole. As the oil boom began to wane, banks collapsed and a fire hit the community, Pithole’s population quickly collapsed with only 2,000 residents in the community by December 1866. ![]() Pithole’s history was short-lived, however. Pithole became known as a rough and tumble town reminiscent of the communities of the Wild West. By December 1865, 20,000 people called Pithole, PA home.Īt its peak, Pithole featured more than 50 hotels, three churches, the world’s first oil pipeline, a newspaper, a theater, and a railroad. Land speculators and would-be oil barons quickly scooped up the land and a town as built around them. Pithole was laid out in May 1865 after oil was discovered nearby. The community of Pithole (Charming name, huh?) was founded during the oil boom in northwestern Pennsylvania. Pithole Overlooking the field where Pithole, Pennsylvania, once existed. Sadly, the famous Graffiti Highway was recently destroyed by the owners of that parcel of land, but the rest of this famous PA ghost town is still worth checking out. ![]() While nearly all of the community has been torn down, it’s still interesting to drive the city streets and see the curbs, sidewalks, and stairwells that lead nowhere. Within a few decades, Centralia was nearly abandoned, though a few hearty souls still live there. Located in Columbia County in the state’s northeastern corner, Centralia was a bustling coal mining community until the coal seam below the borough caught on fire in 1962. There is probably no ghost town in PA that’s more famous than Centralia. Centralia Sidewalks and roadways lead nowhere in Centralia, PA. Here are a few of my favorite Pennsylvania ghost towns and a bit of the history behind them. While there are plenty of abandoned places in PA, these ghost towns take it to another level with many interesting spots to explore. While many of these ghost towns in PA have completely disappeared, a few still exist in the woods and along the roadways of the state. Thanks to Pennsylvania’s long industrial history, the state is filled with communities that have come and gone throughout the years. We will make a small commission from these links if you order something at no additional cost to you. Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. ![]()
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