There are a lot of ovens left at the Collier Coke Works but none of them are in good condition. A total of four ovens still retain their fronts, the rest are in incredibly poor shape. Regardless, it is still an interesting site. One thing that really stands out here more than any other site is the amount of beaver activity. Yes, you read that right. Many small trees were chewed down in telltale fashion. Although we didn't see any beavers, we certainly felt their presence.
Back to the coke works. The Collier Mine and Coke Works were started by the H.C. Frick Coke Company in 1907 and was one of the last two plants that company would build in the Connellsville Coke Region. The coke works initially began with 300 ovens and ended with 400. In 1941 Frick rehabilitated all 400 ovens and provided employment for 200 men at the plant. The Collier Mine and Coke Works operated into the 1950's.
None of the mine buildings survive. Other than the ovens and town, a very large slate dump is all that's left.
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| The slate dump. |
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| These ovens are as good as it gets. The different colored bricks on these two ovens is interesting. |
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| Some nice intact floor tile. |
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| The rest of the ovens all looked like this. |
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| A final shot on the way out. |
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