West Overton, human settlement in Pennsylvania, United States of America
West Overton is a historic village in East Huntingdon Township with Greek Revival buildings, now known as a ghost town. The place contains 19 old structures from the 1800s, including homes, barns, a mill, and a large distillery building from 1859, all still standing in their original locations.
West Overton was founded around 1800 by German-speaking Mennonites who built farms and established a distillery in 1803 that became famous for whiskey. The community developed into an industrial center with mills and whiskey production until Prohibition closed the distillery in the 1920s.
West Overton was long centered on whiskey production and farming, and this past still shapes how the place looks and feels today. The buildings show how workers and business owners built the community together, with workshops standing next to homes and large barns that still remind visitors of the daily work from that era.
Visitors can explore the grounds on foot, with buildings spread across quiet streets that allow for a relaxed walk. Wear shoes with good traction, as some paths have older surfaces and uneven ground.
Henry Clay Frick, who later became a major industrialist, worked as a young boy at West Overton's distillery before building his career in steel and coal industries. The community was also one of the few places in Pennsylvania to still preserve buildings from before the Civil War.
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