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All the United States Pennsylvania Centralia Centralia Ghost Town Church

Centralia Ghost Town Church

A mine fire has been burning under the deserted town since 1962, but this church is still going strong.

Centralia, Pennsylvania

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Mariellen Ward
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Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Centralia.   CarverMostardi / Alamy
A close up of the church.   Craven570
The church is on a hillside overlooking Centralia.   Mredden
Smoke rises from a crack in the abandoned Route 61.   Douglas Muth
Abandoned wash house in Centralia.   lijabarthe
View from Centralia.  
  sorcha1977 / Atlas Obscura User
Centralia Church   RoseMB / Atlas Obscura User
Centralia Church   RoseMB / Atlas Obscura User
The church viewed from across the valley   helwigdev / Atlas Obscura User
The church in October 2014.   Micaela / Atlas Obscura User
  80schic84 / Atlas Obscura User
  80schic84 / Atlas Obscura User
  80schic84 / Atlas Obscura User
  Theamishchihuahua / Atlas Obscura User
  Theamishchihuahua / Atlas Obscura User
Grafitti covered closed road   Gavin / Atlas Obscura User
During a cool foggy morning   kannibalkat / Atlas Obscura User
Centralia Chruch [9 - 2024]   springer / Atlas Obscura User
  missingfilm / Atlas Obscura User
Centralia Chruch [9 - 2024]   springer / Atlas Obscura User
Centralia Church [9 - 2024]   springer / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Over 50 years ago, a mine fire started below the small town of Centralia, Pennsylvania. Some say it was caused by a pile of rubbish that ignited the coals in the pit, but no one knows for sure. Attempts were made to put out the fire, with about $7 million spent, but efforts were eventually discontinued. By the 1980s, the underground blaze had spread and dangerous gases started to seep into people’s homes.

At the time there were about 1,000 residents living in some 400 to 500 houses in Centralia. The government decided it would be more expedient to move out the town's residents than spend the money to put the fire out.

Now there are only about six diehards left in the hilly coal country town. The streets are empty and bare. Very few houses are left standing, and the underground fire is still burning. There’s almost nothing left in Centralia—except a white church with a blue dome that rises above the trees.

When the fire started, there were five churches in town. One by one they disappeared, but in 1986, at the height of the crisis, archbishop Stephen Sulyk ordered a survey. The survey team discovered solid rock, not coal, lay under the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a Ukrainian Catholic church. Thus, the building was saved.

In 2015, the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, led a pilgrimage to the curious Pennsylvania church while he was on tour in the U.S., and more pilgrimages followed.

Now the salvaged structure is the only church that remains in Centralia and one of the only buildings at all. Former residents come back to Centralia to attend services at the church, where pastor Michael Hustko offers doughnuts and coffee to parishioners afterwards, because there’s nowhere else to go.

Meanwhile, though the government says the fire could burn for 100 more years, some locals don’t believe it poses a threat at all. The Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church continues to stand on its solid rock foundation as a symbol of resilience and steadfastness. Father Hustko thinks it will outlast him. 

Related Tags

Fires Mines Ghost Towns Abandoned Churches Sacred Spaces

Know Before You Go

There are "No Trespassing"signs around this church, please respect the parishioners and view from the street.

Community Contributors

Added By

mariellen

Edited By

erjeffery, helwigdev, Meg, missingfilm...

  • erjeffery
  • helwigdev
  • Meg
  • missingfilm
  • springer
  • Gavin
  • Micaela
  • 80schic84
  • RoseMB
  • Theamishchihuahua
  • kannibalkat
  • Gary Saum
  • sorcha1977

Published

February 28, 2018

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  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42781736
Centralia Ghost Town Church
North Paxton Street
Centralia, Pennsylvania
United States
40.808758, -76.342373
Get Directions

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