Arensburg, PA. The Fayette Side Of The Crucible Ferry. A question.

Yesterday, Chip and I headed out to scout some new locations and enjoy the mid 60 degree temperatures of the end of January.  We hopped the ferry in Fredericktown and headed to the Fayette landing of the Crucible ferry.  Chip had it in his head to climb the huge waste piles from the Crucible mine (yea, we know the dangers) and take some pictures. When we got there, via walking north up the railroad tracks, we quickly decided this sounded better in theory then in reality, so we put that entry point on the back burner for now.  

Crucible mine slate dumps now

And.......

Then...1938.

It's weird.  I've lived my whole adult life in Greene county, but know very little history from right across the river in Fayette county, and that was evident today as we walked the CSX tracks.  

About a tenth of a mile north of the ferry landing we ran into these ruins....

Hard to see here, but this old foundation runs to the river and is exceedingly large.

A little further up the tracks we ran into this.....

Obviously, some sort of pumping operation, but for what?  I know down the river at Ronco, an old water treatment plant existed years ago, but I think that serviced the town of Ronco.  There is really nothing around these old buildings/foundations.


The area in question is shown in this picture, taken in 1938.  You can see the Crucible mine on the Greene side w/ all its barges and buildings, but in the questioned area, it doesn't look like there is a whole lot going on.  

Bing maps it isn't, but not too bad a shot for 1938, eh?

View of the old Crucible mine site from Fayette

And for you boaters, its basically behind the Omaha Beach area, as pictured here:

So, the question is, what in fact was this place once?   Any ideas?

The Hollywood Theater, California, PA.

From a calender I bought a few years back

So it's January 31st,  and 63 degrees in SWPA.  This is really unheard of. I'm outside on the deck typing this in, it's still so nice out.  Anyway, Chip and I decided to get out in this fantastic weather and scope  out future exploration sites.  Danielle had to work on this fine specimen of a day and we felt truly bad about this, so we went up to Elco PA and had a nice meal and beer at the always scenic High Point bar to make us feel better.

Wonderful view from the High Point bar

We decided to leave via California, PA and drove through town and noticed something odd.  They were in the process of taking down the old Hollywood Theater.  Now, I went to Cal U back in the late 80's and early 90's and I have never remembered this theater to have been open.  So  did a quick internet search of this place.  I found this little description in Cinema Treasures

  This theater was opened in July 1938 of concrete block construction, and had a 999 seating capacity, all on a stadium plan. Operated into the late-1960’s with the last regular operater being the Friedlander family. Opened several times for concerts or late night showings on an irregular basis during the early-1970’s.

Last opened late-1970’s for a two year stretch or so. Closed in early-1978, and all seats and equipment removed in the 1980’s. Basement housed a bowling alley which was open to the late-1980’s until being flooded. Attached storefront now a florist shop. Marquee still on building."

 "Ulu Grossbard’s STRAIGHT TIME starring Dustin Hoffman was the last film to play. "

Borrowed this image from above source, c. 1975

Below are a few pictures of the theater coming down.

Close to 1975 view, but today

So Chip walked on up to the door and peered through a small opening and quickly declared  "lets head around back"!  What he noticed while I was snapping pictures, was light seeping through the hole.....A clue to what was around back.

Chip noticed the multicolored 1970's era plastic bowling alley seats in the basement (item described not pictured, sold separately) and was very correct as this being used as a bowling alley once

.

If you plan a visit, I suggest go quickly!

Further reading....here, at the Friends Of The Hollywood Theater FB site, but it's a little to late now....

Hoover Coke Works - Hoover, PA

The Hoover Coke Works are located near McClellandtown, PA. At its peak, the Hoover Coke works had 196 working ovens. The adjacent patch town of Hoover is quite small – so small, in fact, that it never even had a company store. The coke works were initially owned by the James H. Hoover Company of McClellandtown but were later operated by the Pennsylvania Coal Company. The Hoover Coke Works shut down just short of the 1960s.  

What’s left now are the bank ovens – the rest of the ovens have been demolished. The leftover coke ovens are strangely elevated above ground – this is because the area where the workers would normally stand was excavated to make room for vehicles as they reclaimed the slate dump. Towards the end of the ovens, near the remains of the waste pile, is a block room where supplies were likely stored.

Now, as the ovens are slowly decaying into the ground and the bricks that made up the outer facing disintergrate, the ovens are an interesting way to see the construction of a beehive oven. While a beehive oven is still intact, its hard to see why they are referred to as beehive ovens - after all, the just look like long blocks. But as the bricks crumble, you can see the beehive shape of the actual ovens.

Entering Hoover

The Hoover patch

One oven intact, another decaying

The stone wall on one side of the ovens

View through the top of the oven

The elevated ovens

As the brick facing decays and falls, you can see the inner beehive

Another view of the construction of the beehive inside

This one has fallen apart so much there is daylight between facing and oven

An almost intact oven

The brick insides of the oven spilling out

Decaying brick

Another oven in a state of decay

The supply room

What's left of the waste pile

The coke works