RUSSELLTON, PA

Russellton Mine No. 1 was opened around 1904 by the Bessemer Coal and Coke Company. 13 years later they built Russellton No. 2 down the road. Later these became captive mines of Republic Steel. Republic Steel was absorbed into LTV Steel in the 1970s, and LTV closed Russellton No. 2 in 1982. This was the last large Freeport seam coal mine in northeastern Allegheny County. Russellton was a coal patch town, but it was more than that, too. There was, and still is, a small independent commercial district. Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad had housing at Russellton for their employees, too.

2017 image by author Duplex "patch" houses at Russellton are typical of coal company towns in Western Pennsylvania.

2017 image by author The housing plan at Russellton No. 1 is somewhat chaotic. In the background is a duplex house where two different people own the two sides of the house. This is evidenced by the two colors of roofing shingles. I don't know about other parts of the country, but this is definitely a "Pennsylvaniaism."

2017 image by author This was once the Russellton No. 1 hoist house.

2017 image by author Probably ruins of the tipple or mine shaft.

2017 image by author Russellton No. 2 is built on a steep hillside.

2017 image by author The insulbrick on this Russellton No. 2 patch house may have been installed by the coal company years ago.

2017 image by author Russellton No. 2 also features these nice homes, which may have been a "bosses row" for mine management.

2017 image by author Another view of these houses.

2017 image by author Looking down the main drag in Russellton No. 2. In the background is the coal refuse pile (slate dump).

2017 image by author Russellton No. 2 slate dump. Some people also call these boney piles or gob dumps.

2017 image by author Apparently this refuse dump was recently being remined to extract the remaining coal out of it.

2017 image by author Russellton No. 2 back yards.