Most People Have No Idea There's An Underwater Ghost Town Hiding In America's Heartland
Sophia
Author
The town of Somerfield, Pennsylvania was once a normal rural community laid out in about 1816 by Philip Smyth, who the town was originally named after as Smythfield. The name was changed because a town already existed named Smythfield. In the 1940s, the U.S. government bought the land, and the entire town was abandoned with 176 people forced to move. The town was then razed and flooded as part of the construction of the Youghiogheny Dam.
Somerfield, Pennsylvania is now one of the abandoned places in the state. The destruction of Somerfield has garnered some interest over the years as this underwater ghost town is like Pennsylvania’s own Atlantis. At the end of this article, enjoy a video from YouTube channel “Stuffthats Gone,” revealing the drowned city.
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For more information, check out the footage below.
It’s such a shame that an entire town had to be flooded to make way for the Youghiogheny Dam. Did you know about the destruction of Somerfield? If so, share your story in the comments below.
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Somerfield, Pennsylvania
Where is another one of the abandoned places in Pennsylvania?
Pennhurst State School and Hospital in Spring City, originally called Eastern Pennsylvania State Institution for the Feeble-Minded and Epileptic, closed after 79 years on Dec. 9, 1987. The first buildings were constructed from 1903 to 1908 on about 634 sprawling acres of Crab Hill. The cause for construction came from a 1903 decision of the Pennsylvania Legislature to authorize its creation, and a commission was formed to find the quantity and status of the epileptic and feeble-minded people living in the state. The result was the discovery of 1,146 feeble-minded people in insane hospitals, 2,627 living in almshouses, reformatories, prisons, and county-care hospitals, who were in immediate need of this specialized care. In 1977, a U.S. District Judge ruled the conditions at the institution violated patients' constitutional rights, led and followed by lawsuits representing victims living there. Since then there have been other developments about the buildings and the property.
Where is another outdoor adventure in Pennsylvania?
At Hickory Falls Family Entertainment Center in Hanover, Pennsylvania, indulge in virtual reality, video games, mini bowling laser tag, arcade games, and go-karts. You won't run out of things to do at this family-fun spot near me. Have a long, cold drink at Alex's Original Lemonade Stand to wash down a pizza, cheeseburger, or soft pretzel with crunchy salt flakes. In addition, a special play area is put aside for the little ones ages 12 and under, for climbing, swinging, bouncing, and sliding.
Where is one of the best restaurants in Pennsylvania?
Zahav, which means gold in Hebrew, landed on the Philadelphia food scene in 2008, bringing the flavors of Israel to Philadelphia. The main ingredient in Israeli cuisine is warm and generous hospitality. Start each delicious meal with Laffa bread baked in the taboon, served with salatim, hummus, and mezze. The extensive cocktail and wine list is impressive, as are the skewers cooked over charcoal, the pomegranate lamb shoulder, and special homemade desserts.