Livermore, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Livermore, Pennsylvania is an abandoned town that was located on the Conemaugh River
between Blairsville
and Saltsburg
in Derry Township
, Westmoreland County
, Pennsylvania
. The town was abandoned and partially razed in the early 1950s following authorization by the Flood Control Act of 1936
and Flood Control Act of 1938
for construction of the Conemaugh River Dam and Lake to prevent flooding of Pittsburgh. Much of the former town site now lies under the reservoir
and floodplains.
The town was established along the Conemaugh River within Derry Township
in 1827 by John Livermore, naming the town after himself. The Pennsylvania legislature had established the Board of Canal Commissioners for the Commonwealth in 1825, and authorized a public canal and railroad project across the state, the Pennsylvania Canal
system. The Main Line Canal
's Western Division, which stretched 103 miles from Johnstown
to Pittsburgh, was constructed past Livermore along the Conemaugh.
The West Penn Railroad extended past Livermore alongside the canal in 1854, and a station was built in 1864, providing connections to Blairsville and Saltsburg. Grading from Blairsville to the Allegheny River
was completed in 1857, and the same year, the state sold the canal to the Pennsylvania Railroad
. Another grade was built in 1882 to bypass a hill. These tracks were used for 25 years until 1907, when a new straight line bypassed the canal curves. A new station was also built.
With the growth of the canal, the town increased slightly. On February 13, 1865, the town was incorporated
as a borough
within the township, by the county courts. The Livermore Presbyterian Church was organized in 1851, though the congregation seldom met for lack of supplies, and ministers frequently shared time between Livermore and the congregation in nearby Salem
. The first church structure was a frame that the Baptists and Presbyterian
s shared. A more solid brick structure was built in 1862. In 1906, the town had several stores and three churches with Presbyterian, Methodist, and United Brethren
congregations. It had one school that served thirty-two students.
The Johnstown Flood
of 1889 rendered the Juniata Branch of the Pennsylvania Canal useless, stranding the Western Division from commerce in the east; canal towns, such as Livermore, began a steady decline.
Between March 16 and 21, 1936, the tributaries
of the Allegheny
and Monongahela River
s including the Conemaugh flooded as a result of heavy rainfall and melting snow and ice. The area had been experiencing extremely cold temperatures, and in many places the ground was frozen solid to a depth of four feet: water could not soak into the ground. Residents of Livermore and other low-lying towns Cokeville and Bairdstown were evacuated by rowboats in the evening of March 17, many gathering at higher ground in Blairsville. "The Great St. Patrick’s Day Flood
" submerged the town under 18 feet of water, sweeping away the bridge spanning the Conemaugh and fourteen buildings, while others were ruined or severely damaged. Floodwaters destroyed eight homes, four properties, three barns, two garages, and the stocks of both general stores. The flood caused one fatality in Livermore. As a whole, the flood claimed about 80 lives and caused the region over $500 million dollars in damages.
Following the flood, the Flood Control Acts of 1936
and 1938
authorized various flood control projects by the United States Army Corps of Engineers
, including the Conemaugh River Dam and Lake at nearby Tunnelton. The project would provide protection for the lower Conemaugh Valley, the Kiskiminetas Valley, the lower Allegheny Valley and the upper Ohio River. The dam would restrict the river's flow, creating a floodplain
that would submerge Livermore. The project required the town to be demolished and the 57 remaining residents were relocated. Since completion in 1952, the Conemaugh River Dam has prevented over $2 billion in damage. $375 million in damage was prevented when the remnants of Hurricane Ivan
struck the area in 2004.
. Livermore recorded an all-white population of 153 in 1850, and 165 in 1860. The 1870 Census recorded that Livermore had 209 native-born residents, and 2 foreigners, with 208 whites and 3 blacks, for a total population of 211. The 1880 Census recorded a significant decline in the population to 164, attributed to the decline of the Pennsylvania Canal. However, the population increased again to 211 in 1890, but again saw decline to 175 in 1900. Following the severe flood in 1936, the population declined to 113 in 1940, and 57 in 1950 before the town was condemned
and abandoned.
Several urban legend
s surround the former town. One claims that the town was wiped out in a flood. While the site is now underwater, the buildings of the small town were condemned and torn down before the dam was built and the area was flooded in 1952. Another belief is that George A. Romero
’s cult
horror film
Night of the Living Dead
was filmed at the Livermore Cemetery. The cemetery scenes were filmed in Evans City, Pennsylvania
, more than 60 miles from Livermore. The site is nonetheless considered haunted, and the stories primarily center around the moving of graves that occurred when the town's cemetery was required to be moved to higher ground.
Conemaugh River
The Conemaugh River is a long tributary of the Kiskiminetas River in Westmoreland, Indiana, and Cambria counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.- Course :...
between Blairsville
Blairsville, Pennsylvania
-External links:* * *...
and Saltsburg
Saltsburg, Pennsylvania
Saltsburg is a borough in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 955 at the 2000 census. The town was based on the construction of salt wells and the canals and railroad tracks that passed through it.-Geography:...
in Derry Township
Derry Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Derry Township is a township in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It surrounds the Borough of Derry, which is a separate municipality...
, Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 369,993 people, 149,813 households, and 104,569 families residing in the county. The population density was 361 people per square mile . There were 161,058 housing units at an average density of 157 per square mile...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The town was abandoned and partially razed in the early 1950s following authorization by the Flood Control Act of 1936
Flood Control Act of 1936
The Flood Control Act of 1936, , was an Act of the United States Congress signed into law by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on 22 June 1936. It authorized civil engineering projects such as dams, levees, dikes, and other flood control measures through the United States Army Corps of...
and Flood Control Act of 1938
Flood Control Act of 1938
The Flood Control Act of 1938 was an Act of the United States Congress signed into law by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt that authorized civil engineering projects such as dams, levees, dikes, and other flood control measures through the United States Army Corps of Engineers and other Federal...
for construction of the Conemaugh River Dam and Lake to prevent flooding of Pittsburgh. Much of the former town site now lies under the reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
and floodplains.
History
Derry Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Derry Township is a township in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It surrounds the Borough of Derry, which is a separate municipality...
in 1827 by John Livermore, naming the town after himself. The Pennsylvania legislature had established the Board of Canal Commissioners for the Commonwealth in 1825, and authorized a public canal and railroad project across the state, the Pennsylvania Canal
Pennsylvania Canal
Pennsylvania Canal refers generally to a complex system of canals, dams, locks, tow paths, aqueducts, and other infrastructure including, in some cases, railroads in Pennsylvania...
system. The Main Line Canal
Main Line of Public Works
The Main Line of Public Works was a railroad and canal system built by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the 19th century. It ran from Philadelphia west through Harrisburg and across the state to Pittsburgh and connected with other divisions of the Pennsylvania Canal...
's Western Division, which stretched 103 miles from Johnstown
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...
to Pittsburgh, was constructed past Livermore along the Conemaugh.
The West Penn Railroad extended past Livermore alongside the canal in 1854, and a station was built in 1864, providing connections to Blairsville and Saltsburg. Grading from Blairsville to the Allegheny River
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
was completed in 1857, and the same year, the state sold the canal to the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
. Another grade was built in 1882 to bypass a hill. These tracks were used for 25 years until 1907, when a new straight line bypassed the canal curves. A new station was also built.
With the growth of the canal, the town increased slightly. On February 13, 1865, the town was incorporated
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
as a borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
within the township, by the county courts. The Livermore Presbyterian Church was organized in 1851, though the congregation seldom met for lack of supplies, and ministers frequently shared time between Livermore and the congregation in nearby Salem
Salem Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Salem Township is a township in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,939 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 47.8 square miles , of which, 47.1 square miles of it is land and...
. The first church structure was a frame that the Baptists and Presbyterian
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
s shared. A more solid brick structure was built in 1862. In 1906, the town had several stores and three churches with Presbyterian, Methodist, and United Brethren
Church of the United Brethren in Christ
The Church of the United Brethren in Christ is an evangelical Christian denomination based in Huntington, Indiana. It is a Protestant denomination of episcopal structure, Arminian theology, with roots in the Mennonite and German Reformed communities of 18th century Pennsylvania, as well as close...
congregations. It had one school that served thirty-two students.
The Johnstown Flood
Johnstown Flood
The Johnstown Flood occurred on May 31, 1889. It was the result of the catastrophic failure of the South Fork Dam situated upstream of the town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA, made worse by several days of extremely heavy rainfall...
of 1889 rendered the Juniata Branch of the Pennsylvania Canal useless, stranding the Western Division from commerce in the east; canal towns, such as Livermore, began a steady decline.
Between March 16 and 21, 1936, the tributaries
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Allegheny
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
and Monongahela River
Monongahela River
The Monongahela River is a river on the Allegheny Plateau in north-central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States...
s including the Conemaugh flooded as a result of heavy rainfall and melting snow and ice. The area had been experiencing extremely cold temperatures, and in many places the ground was frozen solid to a depth of four feet: water could not soak into the ground. Residents of Livermore and other low-lying towns Cokeville and Bairdstown were evacuated by rowboats in the evening of March 17, many gathering at higher ground in Blairsville. "The Great St. Patrick’s Day Flood
Pittsburgh Flood 1936
On March 17 and 18, 1936, the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania witnessed the worst flood in its history when flood levels peaked at . This flood became known as "The Great St...
" submerged the town under 18 feet of water, sweeping away the bridge spanning the Conemaugh and fourteen buildings, while others were ruined or severely damaged. Floodwaters destroyed eight homes, four properties, three barns, two garages, and the stocks of both general stores. The flood caused one fatality in Livermore. As a whole, the flood claimed about 80 lives and caused the region over $500 million dollars in damages.
Flood Control Act of 1936
The Flood Control Act of 1936, , was an Act of the United States Congress signed into law by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on 22 June 1936. It authorized civil engineering projects such as dams, levees, dikes, and other flood control measures through the United States Army Corps of...
and 1938
Flood Control Act of 1938
The Flood Control Act of 1938 was an Act of the United States Congress signed into law by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt that authorized civil engineering projects such as dams, levees, dikes, and other flood control measures through the United States Army Corps of Engineers and other Federal...
authorized various flood control projects by the United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
, including the Conemaugh River Dam and Lake at nearby Tunnelton. The project would provide protection for the lower Conemaugh Valley, the Kiskiminetas Valley, the lower Allegheny Valley and the upper Ohio River. The dam would restrict the river's flow, creating a floodplain
Floodplain
A floodplain, or flood plain, is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent a stream or river that stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls and experiences flooding during periods of high discharge...
that would submerge Livermore. The project required the town to be demolished and the 57 remaining residents were relocated. Since completion in 1952, the Conemaugh River Dam has prevented over $2 billion in damage. $375 million in damage was prevented when the remnants of Hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Ivan was a large, long-lived, Cape Verde-type hurricane that caused widespread damage in the Caribbean and United States. The cyclone was the ninth named storm, the sixth hurricane and the fourth major hurricane of the active 2004 Atlantic hurricane season...
struck the area in 2004.
Demographics
The 1850 United States Census was the first to publish populations for civil divisions below countiesCounty (United States)
In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...
. Livermore recorded an all-white population of 153 in 1850, and 165 in 1860. The 1870 Census recorded that Livermore had 209 native-born residents, and 2 foreigners, with 208 whites and 3 blacks, for a total population of 211. The 1880 Census recorded a significant decline in the population to 164, attributed to the decline of the Pennsylvania Canal. However, the population increased again to 211 in 1890, but again saw decline to 175 in 1900. Following the severe flood in 1936, the population declined to 113 in 1940, and 57 in 1950 before the town was condemned
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
and abandoned.
Today
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
s surround the former town. One claims that the town was wiped out in a flood. While the site is now underwater, the buildings of the small town were condemned and torn down before the dam was built and the area was flooded in 1952. Another belief is that George A. Romero
George A. Romero
George Andrew Romero is a Canadian-American film director, screenwriter and editor, best known for his gruesome and satirical horror films about a hypothetical zombie apocalypse. He is nicknamed "Godfather of all Zombies." -Life and career:...
’s cult
Cult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 American independent black-and-white zombie film and cult film directed by George A. Romero, starring Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea and Karl Hardman. It premiered on October 1, 1968, and was completed on a USD$114,000 budget. After decades of cinematic re-releases, it...
was filmed at the Livermore Cemetery. The cemetery scenes were filmed in Evans City, Pennsylvania
Evans City, Pennsylvania
Evans City is a borough in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,009 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Evans City is located at ....
, more than 60 miles from Livermore. The site is nonetheless considered haunted, and the stories primarily center around the moving of graves that occurred when the town's cemetery was required to be moved to higher ground.