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GRIFFIN, PA

Circa 1920 image from Keystone Coal Catalog

Griffin coke ovens in action a long time ago. At the time of this photo there were 200 rectangular coke ovens at Griffin. In the background a loading machine is taking coke that is being pushed out of the ovens by an electrically operated ram.

Apr. 1991 HABS/HAER image by Jet Lowe

The abandoned Griffin rectangular ovens many years later.

Sep. 2002 image by author

Coke yard and slate dump at Griffin No. 2 coke works. You can still make out where the track for the mechanical coke puller was located.

Sep. 2002 image by author

The Griffin No. 2 coke yard was built by the Bessemer Coke Co. around 1900, and later owned by the Hillman Neff Coke Co. The coke ovens there are of the bee-hive variety. Over at Griffin No. 1 the coke ovens are rectangular and were also built by the Bessemer Coke Co. Note that the operator used whatever kind of brick or block was handy to repair the ovens over the years.

Sep. 2002 image by author

Tipple Ruins at Griffin No. 2. The slate dump there was being reclaimed at the time of this photograph.

Sep. 2002 image by author

A well preserved coke oven at Griffin No. 2. There are 2 rows of block ovens there, which are now rarer to find than the bank ovens built in the hillside. The wide opening is probably indicative that they were modified for mechanical pulling of the coke.

Feb. 2004 image by author

Here is the Griffin patch town on the edge of the Masontown borough. These are one family, two story homes.

Feb. 2004 image by author

Nearer to the coke yard are these one story company houses at Griffin.

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