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List of ghost towns in Pennsylvania

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This is an incomplete list of ghost towns in Pennsylvania.

Many of the ghost towns in Pennsylvania are located in Western Pennsylvania, particularly in the Appalachian and Allegheny regions of the Rust Belt.[1] During the late 19th century and early 20th century, the mountainous parts of Pennsylvania were home to a booming coal industry.[2] Many of these towns also housed coking facilities for the coal mined nearby, many of which still have the remains of the abandoned coke ovens.[3]

Classifications

The bridge at Arroyo
The famous graffiti highway in Centralia
Restored 19th century buildings at Eckley

Barren site

  • Sites no longer in existence
  • Sites that have been destroyed
  • Covered with water
  • Reverted to pasture
  • May have a few difficult to find foundations/footings at most

Neglected site

  • Only rubble left
  • All buildings uninhabited
  • Roofless building ruins
  • Some buildings or houses still standing, but majority are roofless

Abandoned site

  • Building or houses still standing
  • Buildings and houses all abandoned
  • No population, except caretaker
  • Site no longer in existence except for one or two buildings, for example old church, grocery store

Semi-abandoned site

  • Building or houses still standing
  • Buildings and houses largely abandoned
  • Few residents
  • Many abandoned buildings
  • Small population

Historic community

  • Building or houses still standing
  • Still a busy community
  • Smaller than its boom years
  • Population has decreased dramatically, to one fifth or less.

List of towns

More information Name, Other names ...
Name Other names County Township Settled Abandoned Current status Remarks
Acme Westmoreland /Fayette counties Donegal, Mount Pleasant (Westmoreland)

Bullskin (Fayette)

 [4]
Aitch Huntingdon County 1887 Submerged Submerged to form Raystown Lake.[5]
Alice Westmoreland County East Huntingdon Township [4]
Alvira Wisetown Union County Gregg Township [6]
Andrico Westmoreland County Derry Township [7][4]
Antwerp Clarion County Richland Township [8]
Appalacha Indiana County White Township [9]
Aqueduct Indiana County West Wheatfield Township [4]
Ardara Westmoreland County North Huntingdon Township
Armerford Indiana County East Wheatfield Township Lies along the Ghost Town Trail in East Wheatfield Township in Indiana County.[10]
Arroyo Elk County Spring Creek Township
Bagdad Westmoreland County Allegheny Township [11]
Bairdstown Westmoreland County Derry Township [12]
Barclay Bradford County Franklin Township
Bells Mills Indiana County Blacklick Township
Beaver City Beaver Clarion County Beaver Township 1874 Historic A medium sized oil boom town of around 750 people. Known for having a strong temperance movement.[13]
Bennington Cambria/Blair County Allegheny Township [14]
Beula Cambria County 1796 1804 Welsh religious ghost town.[15]
Big Creek Valley Carbon County 1966 Submerged Submerged to form Beltzville Lake.[16]
Big Run Elk County [17]
Billmeyer Billmyer[18] Lancaster County [19]
Blairfour Blair County The site of a quarry for Blair Limestone Company.[20]
Blue Rock Elk County Along the Clarion-Little Toby Trail, connected to Ellmont, another ghost town, by the local landmark Blue Rock Swinging Bridge.[21]
Bracken Indiana County A coal mining ghost town[citation needed] along the Ghost Town Trail.[10]
Braddock Allegheny County N/A Semi-abandoned Notorious for its crumbling infrastructure and "post-apocalyptic" appearance.[22]
Brownsville Fayette County N/A Historic [23]
Buena Vista Indiana County Brush Valley Township
Byrnesville Columbia County Conyngham Township
Cardiff Located along the Ghost Town Trail[24][25]
Celestia Sullivan County 1887 A religious community of Millennialists.[26]
Centralia Columbia County Semi-abandoned A coal mining ghost town, where a fire has been burning underground for years
Cereal Lindencross Westmoreland County North Huntingdon Township Was a major location for breakfast cereal production plants starting in 1904 until the factories closed for good in the 1940s.[27]
Chester Humphries Westmoreland County Derry Township 1644 A coal mining ghost town, often known as Humphries after the owner of the mine.[28]
Claghorn Indiana County East Wheatfield Township Along the Ghost Town Trail
Cokeville Broad Fording Westmoreland County Derry Township Submerged a Pennsylvania Canal & coal mining ghost town, under the waters of Conemaugh River Lake.[29]
Cold Spring Lebanon County Cold Spring Township A township that has not had any staff or budget in the municipal government since the 1960s.[30]
Concrete City Luzerne County Historic [31]
Corduroy Elk County Highland Township Located on the Clarion River near Rushland.[32]
Corydon McKean County Corydon Township Submerged Flooded by Allegheny Reservoir
Cressonville Branch Township Schuylkill County [33]
Crum Crumb, Crumtown Somerset County Before 1833 1926 Neglected Almost all of the buildings in Crum were bought out in the late 1920s by the Berwind Corporation to keep pollution out of their watershed.[34]
Crunkleton Franklin County 1772 Barren A colonial hamlet between Greencastle and Waynesboro.[35]
Dahoga Elk County Jones Township
Dias Indiana County Brush Valley Township A coal town on the Ghost Town Trail.[36]
Dilltown Indiana County Buffington Township Once an important commerce center, now sparsely populated.[37]
Dunbar Frogtown Fayette County N/A Historic [38][39]
East Fork Road District Potter County Absorbed
Eckley Luzerne County Foster Township Historic a coal mining ghost town, now a coal mining museum
Edgerton Lackawanna County A coal mining ghost town.[40]
Edri Indiana County Conemaugh Township A coal mining ghost town.[41]
Eleanora Jefferson County McCalmont Township A coal and coke company town.[42]
Elk City Kiser/Tilt-Top Clarion County Elk Township 1875 Historic A large oil boom town. In 1877, the city's population reached 2,500-3,000 people. By 1881, the town had turned into a much smaller village of 494 people.[43]
Ellmont Elk County/Jefferson County A logging town famous for a rope bridge, Blue Rock Swinging Bridge, which connects it to another ghost town, Blue Rock.[44]
Emmons Sullivan County Davidson Township Former lumber town.
Empire Elk County A logging town with a railroad tunnel.[citation needed]
Eriton Clearfield County Sandy Township A coal mining ghost town.[45]
Fairbanks Westmoreland County Loyalhanna Township A coal mining ghost town.[46]
Ferrier Indiana County Brush Valley Township A coal mining ghost town.[47]
Fillmore Indiana County Blacklick Township Submerged Formerly along the banks of the Conemaugh River, submerged under the waters of Conemaugh River Lake after construction of the Conemaugh Dam.[48]
Forest Home Forest City Clarion County Beaver Township 1876 1885 Barren A notably pleasant oil town with a population of around 500 people.[49] It was located near an Antwerp pump station.[13]
Fort Palmer Westmoreland County Fairfield Township 1771 [50][51]
Foster Indiana County Conemaugh Township A coal mining ghost town.[41]
Foxtown Westmoreland County Hempfield Township A coal mining ghost town.[52]
French Azilum Bradford County 1793
Freytown Lackawanna County [53]
Frick's Lock Chester County East Coventry Township
Frogtown Westmoreland County Salem Township A coal mining ghost town[54]
Fullerton Clarion County Richland Township Neglected Located next to the Allegheny Valley Railroad between Emlenton and Foxburg. The town existed to support the storage and transportation of oil.[55]
Gold Mine [56]
Gazzam Clearfield County Jordan Township Former mining town which was named after Joseph M. Gazzam, a state senator and an incorporator of the Beech Creek Railroad.
Grays Run An obscure logging town.[57]
Greenwood Furnace Huntingdon County Jackson Township Formerly home to a booming iron industry, the town declined after new techniques rendered its facilities obsolete.[58]
Hart Town Indiana County Young Township Once a coal mining town, the mines at Hart Town had closed by the start of World War II.[59]
Hazel Hurst McKean County Once an important glass production town with multiple factories, all of which are now closed.[57]
Helvetia Clearfield County Brady Township A coal mining ghost town
Hicks Run Cameron County 1904 1912 Barren A logging town located near Route 555 in Driftwood.[57]
Holbrook Greene County Abandoned Although the greater Holbrook area still has residents, the village proper is almost entirely abandoned.[60]
Horatio Jefferson County Young Township coal mining ghost town
Howe Farm Clarion County Beaver Township, Ashland Township 1877 1878 Barren A small, short-lived oil boom town.[55]
Huron Westmoreland County Salem Township A coal mining ghost town.[61]
Ingleby Fowler Centre County Haines Township
Instanter Elk County Submerged Under the waters of East Branch Lake.[62]
Jefferson City Jefferson Clarion County Beaver Township 1876 1882 Barren Former oil town of 1,000 people. [13]
Johnetta Armstrong County Gilpin Township A brick works & coal mining ghost town
Joller Huntingdon County 1916 1979 Barren A coal mining ghost town.[63]
Kelly's Station Tunnelton[64] Indiana County Conemaugh Township Former town along the Conemaugh River[64]
Kinzua Warren County 1963 see also Kinzua Creek
Lackawanna No. 3 Indiana County Buffington Township Located along the Ghost Town Trail.[65]
Landrus Tioga County An early pioneer of using electricity in logging camps, Landrus disappeared after the railroad was redirected through a different town.[57][66]
Laquin Bradford County Franklin Township 1902 Once a booming lumber town.[57]
Laurel Run Luzerne County N/A Semi-abandoned Has experienced a sharp decline in residents due to the contamination caused by the Laurel Run mine fire, which started in 1915 and is still burning.
Lausanne Lausanne Landing Carbon County
Lily Pond An extremely small logging town on the Clarion River.[32]
Livermore Westmoreland County Derry Township Submerged A Pennsylvania Canal ghost town under the waters of Conemaugh River Lake
Loop Indiana County West Mahoning Township An iron furnace & coal mining ghost town
Marburg Submerged Submerged under Lake Marburg.[67]
Marietta Westmoreland County Ligonier Township A coal mining ghost town[68]
Masten Lycoming County
McIntyre Lycoming County McIntyre Township
McKinley Elk County Highland Township A logging/oil drilling ghost town.[69]
Meco Indiana County Brush Valley Township A coal mining ghost town[70]
Mehrtena Mertina, Mertena Clarion County Beaver Township 1872 1878 Barren A small oil town.[13]
Middletown Located on the Clarion River between Corduroy and Rushland.[32]
Milford Mills Submerged Flooded by creation of Marsh Creek Lake
Millwood Shaft Westmoreland County Derry Township [71]
Mongtown Knox Clarion County Beaver Township 1872 1881 Barren An oil boom town. Home to the famous St. Lawrence well.[13]
Nebraska Forest County [72]
Nelsonville Elk County [73]
Nemacolin Greene County Cumberland Township Formerly the site of the Buckeye Coal Mine.[74]
New England Westmoreland County 1900 1932 A coal mining ghost town.[75]
Newport Indiana County Blacklick Township Before colonization

(possibly 8,000 years bce)

 1820s Barren/historic A former Native American settlement. In 2019, Indiana University of Pennsylvania students of archaeology began excavation at the site.[76]
Newtown Mills Forest County Kingsley Township [citation needed]
Norwich McKean County A town that once housed 5,000 residents.[57]
Old Patton (Wakena) Westmoreland County Bell Township A coal mining ghost town[citation needed]
Owl's Nest Elk County Highland Township A logging/oil drilling ghost town[citation needed]
Pandamonia Pandemonium Perry County Located in the Tuscarora State Forest. [citation needed]
Peale Clearfield County Cooper Township Coal mining ghost town
Pemberton Huntingdon County Franklin Township [citation needed]
Petroleum Center Venango County Cornplanter Township
Pickwick Paris City Clarion County Salem Township 1872-1873 1880-1881 Barren An oil boom town, named for the Pickwick Club of St. Petersburg.[13]
Pig’s Ear Elk County Highland Township Semi-abandoned An oil drilling ghost town
Pithole Venango County Cornplanter Township An oil drilling ghost town
Poe Mills Centre County A former logging town, now the site of Poe Paddy State Park.[77]
Port Perry Allegheny County North Versailles Township 1945
Powelton Centre County A coal mining ghost town[citation needed]
Powelton Huntingdon County A coal mining ghost town[citation needed]
Quaker Bridge [citation needed]
Rattling Run [56]
Rausch Gap Lebanon County Cold Spring Township
Red Hot Allegheny County West Deer Township Along Saxonburg Boulevard
Red Shaft A coal mining ghost town[citation needed]
Ricketts Sullivan/Wyoming counties Colley (Sullivan)

Forkston (Wyoming)
Robindale Indiana County A coal mining ghost town[citation needed]
Rushland Sackett, Rush Valley Bucks County Wrightstown Township 1730 Most famous for the old Rushland station.[78]
Safe Harbor Lancaster County Conestoga Township See also Safe Harbor Dam.[79]
Salemville Westmoreland County Salem Township A coal mining ghost town[54]
Sam City Clarion County Beaver Township 1877 1879 Barren "...an apology of a town on the John Beck farm.."[80] The name of this oil town comes from the fact that there were eight Sams living there at one point.
Scotia Centre County Patton Township 1922-1923 A mining town[81]
Scott Glenn Indiana County East Wheatfield Township A coal mining ghost town along the Ghost Town Trail[citation needed]
Shanktown Indiana County Green Township A coal mining ghost town[citation needed]
Shawmut Elk County Horton Township [citation needed]
Sidney Indiana County Banks Township Located at Bear Run.[82]
Silverton Branch Township Schuylkill County [citation needed]
Slambang Slam Bang City Clarion County Beaver Township 1877 1879 Barren A short lived oil boom town.[13]
Sligo Allegheny County Harrison Township [citation needed]
Smokeless (Robindale) Indiana County East Wheatfield Township A coal mining ghost town[citation needed]
Snyder Indiana County Center Township A mining town.[83]
Snydertown Westmoreland County Derry Township [84]
Social Hall Submerged Under the waters of Conemaugh River Lake.[48]
Somerfield Somerset County 1943 Submerged Under the waters of Youghiogheny River Lake, but in 1999 receding water levels began to reveal parts of the town.[85]
Sonesville An obscure logging town[57]
Straight Elk County Submerged Under the waters of East Branch Lake.[86]
Stringtown Greene County [citation needed]
Tambine Elk County Jones Township [citation needed]
Tartown Wagamansville Adams County [87]
Three Mile Elk County Highland Township An oil drilling ghost town[citation needed]
Tohickon Village Bucks County Submerged Under the waters of Lake Nockamixon
Triangle Clarion County Salem Township 1873 1879-1881 Barren A small oil boom town. The town was settled in a way that made the shape of a triangle, which gave the town its name.[13]
Walston Jefferson County Young Township A coal company patch town.[88]
Webster Indiana County A coal mining ghost town along the Ghost Town Trail.[citation needed]
Wehrum Indiana County Buffington Township 1934 A coal mining ghost town
Wenona Allegheny County Forward Township A coal mining ghost town[citation needed]
West Overton Historic [89]
West Winfield Butler County Winfield Township A former company town which once housed a rail station.[90]
Whiskey Run Indiana County Young Township A coal mining ghost town famous for multiple unsolved murders.[59]
White Rock Armstrong County Gilpin Township A coal mining ghost town[citation needed]
Wilmer [25]
Wilsonville Submerged Flooded to create Lake Wallenpaupack
Windy City Elk County Highland Township [citation needed]
Wistar Elk County [73]
Yellow Dog Village Armstrong County Early 2010s Historic/neglected [31]
Yellow Springs Lebanon County [56]
Zanmore Clinton County [citation needed]
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