ALLISON, PA
The abandoned Allison coke works.
These coke ovens at the Allison coke works are a good example of the rectangular style of coke oven. The front "door" is
wider to accomodate the ram bar that pushed the coke out through the other side. Rectangular coke ovens, though not as numerous as bee-hive ovens, were built in Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland Counties in the years before World
War I. Allison was an operation of W.J. Rainey Coke Co. and was built in 1904 or 1909.
A closer look at a rectangular oven at Allison shows that you can actually look through the oven and see the other block of ovens. Emerald Coal and Coke kept these ovens in blast into the 1950s.
This tipple / coal washer at Allison probably dates back to the days when Emerald Coal and Coke operated Allison. On the left is a deteriorated brick shop building.
Allison No. 2 patch. Allison No. 1 is on the other side of the ravine where the coke works and tipple are located. Both are sizeable patch towns still called home by many.
Coal company-built houses at Allison No. 1.
This building was once the Allison company store.
Aerial photograph of Allison with the No. 1 and No. 2 patches on each side of the ravine containing the red dog slate dump, along with mine buildings, coke ovens, the company store, and a new large
metal industrial building.
Another aerial photograph of Allison zooms in on the larger of the two Allison patch towns.
1967 image by John Enman, from "Silver Cinders" video
Nov. 2002 image by author
Nov. 2002 image by author
Nov. 2002 image by author
Nov. 2002 image by author
Google Street View image
Image courtesy of Holly April Harris
Aerial image by Chris H.
Aerial image by Chris H.