Posted February 6, 201510 yr I visited Washington, Pennsylvania early in the morning so the shadows are a little longer than I would have liked. Washington is the county seat of Washington County. In 2010 the population was 13,663. The city has a small land area though so it has some decent density. Washington, PA by Eridony, on Flickr Historic Washington by Eridony, on Flickr The county courthouse Washington County Courthouse Dome by Eridony, on Flickr Washington County Courthouse by Eridony, on Flickr The newspaper Observer Reporter by Eridony, on Flickr Local Paints by Eridony, on Flickr Morning on Main Street by Eridony, on Flickr The F. Julius LeMoyne House a National Historic Landmark built in 1812 F. Julius LeMoyne House by Eridony, on Flickr Davis Memorial Hall at Washington & Jefferson College was originally a private residence when it was built in 1847 Davis Memorial Hall by Eridony, on Flickr Old Main at Washington & Jefferson College. The two towers symbolize two colleges becoming one. Old Main by Eridony, on Flickr Methodist Church Washington First UMC by Eridony, on Flickr Washington Trust Building Washington Trust Building by Eridony, on Flickr Another theater turned church Basle Theater by Eridony, on Flickr Downtown Washington by Eridony, on Flickr Some of the houses downtown Main & Walnut by Eridony, on Flickr Abandoned in Washington by Eridony, on Flickr Washingtown Tower House by Eridony, on Flickr Two sides of Main Street Downtown Washington by Eridony, on Flickr Main Street Washington by Eridony, on Flickr The same day I visited Washington I also visited Coraopolis. This time it was the end of the day and the shadows were growing long again. There was less to see in this town though. The Borough of Coraopolis is in Allegheny County. This Pittsburgh suburb had a population of 5,677 in 2010. Coraopolis by Eridony, on Flickr Downtown Coraopolis by Eridony, on Flickr Gillis by Eridony, on Flickr Mill & 4th by Eridony, on Flickr The Coraopolis Railroad Station was built in 1895. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places but as you can see has not been maintained. The only thing protecting the station is a single feral cat. Coraopolis Railroad Station by Eridony, on Flickr Coraopolis Railroad Station with Guard Cat by Eridony, on Flickr Coraopolis Railroad Station by Eridony, on Flickr Community center Coraopolis Community Center by Eridony, on Flickr
February 6, 201510 yr Great shots! I was hoping to stop and get pics in Washington, Pa., on my way back from Washington, D.C. I've already posted shots of Frederick and Cumberland, Md., and will soon post Morgantown, W.Va. But by the time I got to Washington, the drizzle was turning to flurries. I would not have benefited from the blue sky that enhances your thread.
February 7, 201510 yr Wow. You went to Coraopolis. Now THAT'S random. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
February 11, 201510 yr I'm shocked Washington is only a city of 13,000. It has a decent little skyline that you can see from the freeway heading to Pittsburgh!
February 11, 201510 yr I'm shocked Washington is only a city of 13,000. It has a decent little skyline that you can see from the freeway heading to Pittsburgh! I was also surprised but it seems the city has a land area of only 3.3 square miles. They do not seem to like annexation in Pennsylvania.
February 16, 201510 yr Washington PA and a few other county seats like Greensburg, east of Pittsburgh have small city populations, but are really bigger (I say this in relative terms as the surrounding population makes them more like cities a couple times bigger, but that's still small of course)
February 17, 201510 yr I visited Washington, PA back in 2009 taking a sampling of photos during the one day visit. The town has some outstanding historic architecture as noted in your photos but as also noted, a fair number are barely standing like the mansard roofed duplex captioned: "abandoned in Washington". Nothing short of a miracle that it remains standing today and one has to wonder how much longer. Besides the early buildings at Washington & Jefferson College, there were also two large Victorian era (towered Queen Anne style) former mansions on the campus. Both are in fine condition and used by the institution. Near the campus was a nicely preserved historic residential district with dozens of restored Victorian era homes. But preservation in Washington, PA is spotty with some faded neighborhoods not likely to survive in the years to come. I was intrigued by the use of large blue stone pavers in some of the old residential areas. Although too dated now to upload the 2009 photos I took, I'll provide a link to my Washington, PA album on Flickr: (a few of nearby Uniontown, PA are included at the end) I did not stop in Coraopolis and after seeing what you found I now wish I had. That railroad station with the ferral cat is a true landmark structure but I wonder if its not going through demolition by neglect and how long it will survive? Old train depots and rail stations are challenging to re-purpose and maintain usefulness in the modern age. (I'm reminded of the C.C.C. & St. Louis RR terminal in Galion, OH which is thankfully in better condition) While Pittsburgh has seen some encouraging revival in recent decades, many within the ring of suburban towns around it have not fared as well. Towns like Braddock and McKeesport immediately come to mind. But the problems are economic based and regional so the solutions (besides continuing deterioration and neglect) may not come soon. Thanks for the photos; I believe you captured the flavor of the towns very well.
February 17, 201510 yr I visited Washington, PA back in 2009 taking a sampling of photos during the one day visit. The town has some outstanding historic architecture as noted in your photos but as also noted, a fair number are barely standing like the mansard roofed duplex captioned: "abandoned in Washington". Nothing short of a miracle that it remains standing today and one has to wonder how much longer. Besides the early buildings at Washington & Jefferson College, there were also two large Victorian era (towered Queen Anne style) former mansions on the campus. Both are in fine condition and used by the institution. Near the campus was a nicely preserved historic residential district with dozens of restored Victorian era homes. But preservation in Washington, PA is spotty with some faded neighborhoods not likely to survive in the years to come. I was intrigued by the use of large blue stone pavers in some of the old residential areas. Although too dated now to upload the 2009 photos I took, I'll provide a link to my Washington, PA album on Flickr: (a few of nearby Uniontown, PA are included at the end) I did not stop in Coraopolis and after seeing what you found I now wish I had. That railroad station with the ferral cat is a true landmark structure but I wonder if its not going through demolition by neglect and how long it will survive? Old train depots and rail stations are challenging to re-purpose and maintain usefulness in the modern age. (I'm reminded of the C.C.C. & St. Louis RR terminal in Galion, OH which is thankfully in better condition) While Pittsburgh has seen some encouraging revival in recent decades, many within the ring of suburban towns around it have not fared as well. Towns like Braddock and McKeesport immediately come to mind. But the problems are economic based and regional so the solutions (besides continuing deterioration and neglect) may not come soon. Thanks for the photos; I believe you captured the flavor of the towns very well. Thanks for the reply and link to your Washington photos. I hope to get back there again and see some more of the town, especially the college, but who knows when I will end up that way again. As for that depot in Coraopolis when looking up its history I did read that the current owners have a plan to turn it into a cafe but it doesn't sound like they have the needed funding yet so we will have to see what happens there.
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