Centralia, PA: A Photoessay

[Zillon]

One of the few times I broke out the camera this winter break was for a phototherapy trip to Centralia, a town in Pennsylvania made famous by the fire that has raged below it since 1962. The end of Centralia began when an exposed coal vein was set alight while burning the town's trash in a nearby trash pit.

The underground inferno has taken a toll on not only the town, but the surrounding hillsides as well. The hills belch noxious smoke and steam, with the ground warm to the touch in areas. Trees are bleached and lifeless, DEP vent pipes pepper the landscape, and the surface undulates as a result of subsidence (the collapsing of burned out coal veins underneath the surface).

All that remains of the town is an emaciated skeleton that barely represents the traditional Pennsylvania coal mining community that Centralia once was. Only a few residents remain, the exterior walls of their houses shored up by brick pillars that take the place of the homes that once stood on either side, much like shoulders to lean on. Due to carbon monoxide seeping through cellar walls and floors, most of the residents have packed up and left, leaving the government to buy out their properties and raze the remaining structures. The grid of streets still remains, complete with stop signs, curbs, sidewalks, and street signs, however there are only a small handful of houses left.

South of the Centralia is the old section of Highway 61, a buckled slab of asphalt that has fallen victim to subsidence from the hollowed out ground beneath it. Covered in graffiti, the old highway has a gaping fissure that runs parallel to the lanes that spews smoke and steam. With each year, this crack grows wider as the ground collapses and settles below.

It is believed that there is enough coal to supply the fire for at least another 200 years, allowing it to potentially reach neighbouring communities such as Ashland and Mt. Carmel. One thing is certain, though; this fire isn't going out anytime soon.

Enjoy the photos.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d140/zillon3/Centralia/Centralia%201-09/cen023.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d140/zillon3/Centralia/Centralia%201-09/cen013.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d140/zillon3/Centralia/Centralia%201-09/cen011.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d140/zillon3/Centralia/Centralia%201-09/cen018.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d140/zillon3/Centralia/Centralia%201-09/cen024.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d140/zillon3/Centralia/Centralia%201-09/cen022.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d140/zillon3/Centralia/Centralia%201-09/cen025.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d140/zillon3/Centralia/Centralia%201-09/cen032.jpg

Whole album: Click here. (http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d140/zillon3/Centralia/Centralia%201-09/)

[newton]

Great shots and not the first time I've heard of the place. I would love to visit there sometime.

Something tells me that the Stop sign photo may work a little better in B&W though.

[Zillon]

This is probably my 4th visit, and my first with something other than a point and shoot camera. Not sure why it took me so long to finally get up there with an SLR.

I really haven't played with any of the images yet, I just did basic PP work (levels, resize, sharpen, and convert to sRGB) and posted them up.

Not a bad suggestion though. :)

[St1ll]

Why don't you try a BW? Especially on the last one...I think it would give a lot of strenght

[Denny G]

I offen wonder what happened to this town. Thanks for posting.

[snyderman]

Nice compositions for the most part. I'm still looking for something 'interesting' outdoors to photograph in my neck of the woods.

Thanks for posting. Especially liked your abandoned bldg shot. Really nice.

dave

[Al Hung]

It amazes me that anyone would remain in the town - what do they do for a living? For fun? For education? That sort of things interests me.

edit: for anyone who might not know, the city of Silent Hill (video game) was based loosely on Centralia, PA!

[fotoshane]

I like them!

The one with the stop sign is a bit crooked.

[efoo]

Thanks for these memorable photos. So I assume this town is where Silent Hill (a survival horror movie) based on. In the movie the air of the ghost town is filled with ashes. I am quite surprised your photos showing the air and sky were so clear, I assume it would be very polluted. Someone really screwed up big time in 1962.

[gmacmt]

That park and locust sign is really the only sign picture I have ever liked. Nice job. The rest of the photos are really good too. I would maybe try to bring out some detail in the skies, but they are still super interesting. Great story.

[sparker1]

Fascinating. Is this another example where private enterprise (and greed) created a problem, then walked away to leave the people suffering and the government to pay for cleanup?

[Zillon]

Why don't you try a BW? Especially on the last one...I think it would give a lot of strenght

Here's one BW conversion I did thus far.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d140/zillon3/Photography/Misc/dontstopbw2.jpg

[Zillon]

It amazes me that anyone would remain in the town - what do they do for a living? For fun? For education? That sort of things interests me.

edit: for anyone who might not know, the city of Silent Hill (video game) was based loosely on Centralia, PA!

Most of the people that remain, at least as far as I know, are lifers.

They were probably born in the area, and grew up in the town, and they simply don't want to abandon the homes they worked so hard to buy or the town they've known since birth.

Thanks for the compliments, everyone. :)

[TByrne]

In too many ways this is America's Chernobyl. You've captured it well. Thanks.

[scotteisenphotography]

Nice!

[Zillon]

In too many ways this is America's Chernobyl. You've captured it well. Thanks.

Except it's actually explorable.

Thanks for the compliments. :)