Rare Design! Abandoned Coke Ovens Allison Brownsville Pennsylvania Coal Coke Heritage

Also visit www.stufthatsgone.com Allison is located south of Brownsville off PA Rt 166. It is actually two towns, Allison #1 and Allison #2. The West Penn Railways split this town (see other Allison videos) right by the banks of coke ovens. This squarer, through design can be found nowhere else in southwestern pennsylvania, and the design allowed the coke to be "pushed through" the oven and down to the loading car. These examples are well preserved, but can be difficult to access. We were lucky the day we went as the gate to the sewage treatment plant was open!!! Enjoy--still pictures available for sale at our web site.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Coal
• Coke
• Heritage
• Ovens
• Pennsylvania
• Fayette
• County
• Allison
• Brownsville
• Uniontown

[tomyv1661]

is this where the "concrete" bridge you couldnt find was near?

[theqman1956]

@tomyv1661 yes...very close.

[HISTORYBUFFPA]

Please excuse my ignorance, but what is "coke" in this instance?

[theqman1956]

@HISTORYBUFFPA Coke is the byproduct created when coal is fired or "cooked" for 36 or 72 hours, and all the impurities are burned off. What is left is a charcoal like substance called "coke". This was the fuel that allowed blast furnaces in Pgh to burn hot enough to make Steel....a very important part of steel making that is still used today...of course not by this fashion. these were made cold by the EPA in 1972.

[hitnrundrummer]

These are EXACTLY like the Poland Mines ovens

[theqman1956]

must have been that side of the state or same coke baron!

[thelazycomic]

I've often wondered when the steel industry finally figured out producing coke in no-man's-land was not very economical, and decided to do away with these types of places.  They've always fascinated me because they are always in the middle of nowhere. When did this one close up ??

[pm22comets]

good stuff! there looks like some beautiful cut stone being used i see. thanks for sharing.

[tomyv1661]

did u ever find the other " concrete" bridge?

[PrestoWind]

Man, I love this stuff!

[metalbynumber]

So this is where Coca Cola started! Nice!

[thenekom]

Poland Mines is indeed also constructed like this, but they weren't the same owners. Allison was owned by W.J. Rainey Coke Co. of Uniontown, PA and later Emerald Coal & Coke, and Poland mines was owned by the Poland Coal Co. of Pittsburgh, PA. Griffin #1 works also had this construction and I'm pretty sure I've seen it in a few others, but it is the exception not the rule.

[HISTORYBUFFPA]

@theqman1956 Thank you very much for the detail. I appreciate the insight. Nice vids!