Pithole City Historic Site

Pithole City, established in 1865 and gone by early 1870s. was part of the northwestern Pennsylvania oil boom. At one point 5,000 barrels of oil a day were being pumped from the ground. The population reached 20,000. There were 54 hotels, 3 churches, a theater, and numerous bars and brothels. Then oil prices dropped, a pipeline put teamsters out of work, wells dried up, and fires roared through the shoddily constructed wood buildings. The buildings that didn't burn were often taken apart to be reconstructed at a different site. By 1870 there were only 43 occupied houses. 

The historic site is a grassy hillside with mown streets and interpretive signs. A small museum with interesting exhibits and an amazingly detailed diorama of the town sits on the top of the hill. We happened to visit during Wildcatter Day which features costumed volunteers, guided tours, and demonstrations. The town site tour was canceled due to rain so the volunteer used the diorama to cover the history of the town. Demonstrations were given on spinning thread, blacksmithing, and wood carving. Two visitors volunteered as models to be dressed in all the layers of clothing that a women would have worn in the 1800s. 

The museum is accessible. The grounds are not due to the terrain and the thick grass.

 RVs will fit in the parking lot but it may not be large enough to turn around a towed or towing RV. There is room to pull off on the side of  Pithole Road. Pithole City  41.52386, -79.58164