United, Pennsylvania in Westmoreland County was built in 1881 by the United Coal and Coke Co. H.C. Frick Coke Co. took over operations in 1895 and closed the coal mine and coke ovens in 1930.
Circa 1960 image from Series MG-377.1: Photographs circa 1959-1965; Enman, John Collection, circa 1959-1965; Pennsylvania State Archives, Harrisburg, PA
United coal and coke town many years after the mine closed and the ovens were cooled. The ovens can be seen in the valley in the background.
Aug. 2002 image by author
Coal and coke "patch" town.
Aug. 2002 image by author
Coal company housing at United. These houses display a lot of originality, such as the 12-pane windows and asbestos roof shingles.
Feb. 2003 image by author
Ruins of the coal mine at United. A mine shaft, engine house, and boiler house were once located in this area shown here.
Feb. 2003 image by author
Detail of the coke oven ruins at United reveals a portion of the original cut stone facade of the ovens. There are at least 50 ovens left at United, though none have a front.
Feb. 2003 image by author
In 1903, this scene along Little Sewickley Creek would have been full of the activity of coal trains, coal miners, coke workers, and coke oven smoke. But, a century later, it was a valley grown quiet.
