14 Then And Now Photos Of This Legendary Pennsylvania Ghost Town That Will Leave You In Awe

Stroll along grassy trails and listen for the whispers of history. For an oh-so-brief period, the grassy area was once home to one of the fastest growing towns in Pennsylvania. Today, it is a ghost town with visitors passing through to imagine what once was and to visit the onsite Visitors Center. Have you heard the story of this legendary Pennsylvania ghost town?

Pithole City burst onto the scene as a brand new town in Venango County in 1865 and would quickly become one of the most successful, busiest towns in Pennsylvania. But, the happy story would be short lived.

The Frazier Well, the first well drilled near Pithole Creek, hit oil on January 7, 1865, signalling the start of an oil boom.

An estimated 250 barrels of oil a day, sold at $8 a gallon, came from that first oil well. But, that was just the beginning.

The Grant Well, which first struck oil on August 2, 1865, put out more than 700 barrels of oil each day.

As a result of the prospering oil industry, the boom town quickly drew 15,000 residents.

Businesses filled Holmden Street, the town's main street. And, Pithole started the area's first newspaper, The Pithole Daily Record.

Not long after the Grant Well hit oil, the Pool Well hit pay dirt, producing more than 1,000 barrels of oil each day. Despite all of the oil that was produced, Pithole faced insurmountable obstacles.

Fire ripped through the town an estimated 17 times, resulting in millions of dollars in damage. At the same time, oil workers left Pithole to help build oil pipelines in other areas as the town's oil wells began to dry.

By the end of 1866, Pithole's fate appeared sealed. The once vibrant town of 15,000 now languished with only 2,000 residents as the town's oil wells produced well below 1,000 barrels a day.

A marker that laments "Established in 1865, a ghost town by 1868" now greets visitors to the sprawling spot where PIthole once stood.

Uncover the history of the ghost town, which once housed the third busiest post office in the state, through strategically placed markers.

Stop by the Pithole Visitors Center and view a model of Pithole in its heyday. Guests can also join a guided tour that includes replicas of the A.J. Christy Drugstore and the Post Office.

The Pithole Visitors Center welcomes guests from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays in June, July, and August.

Address

Pithole Visitors Center

14118 Pithole Road

Pleasantville, PA 16341

814-589-7912

Click here for more information.

Have you ever visited this Pennsylvania ghost town? If ghost towns intrigue you, embark on this road trip through some of Pennsylvania's most storied ghost towns.