Abandoned Building, Route 61, Centralia, Pa

Along Route 61, just south of Centralia, Pa is an abandoned building easily accessible from the roadway.  Its original purpose remains a mystery to most explorers, but speculation includes a machine shop, a wash house, or convenience store, or perhaps it was the gas station that played a pivotal role in bringing seriousness the Centralia mine fire to the attention of the townspeople.  In 1979 Mayor John Coddington, who was also as a gas station owner, inserted a rod into one of his underground tanks of gasoline to measure the level remaining.  To his suprise the measuring rod became quite warm, so he then inserted a thermometer and discovered that his gasoline had been heated to 172 °F (77.8 °C) by the coal vein fires burning deep below the town.  Whatever it once was, its now an interesting example of nature slowly taking back what man has left behind.

Disclaimer: It is not the intent of StrangePA, its creators or contributers to encourage or recommend the exploration of any building abandoned, disused, or in a state of disrepair by any person, persons, or group for any purpose.  We do not assert that such activities are in any way safe, and cannot be held responsible for damages resulting from arrest by the police, building collapse, snake bites, encounters with rabid animals, or robbery by squatting crackheads, nor for damages resulting from any other cause, including but not limited to bodily harm, loss of property, or criminal charges.