Centralia, Pennsylvania

Centralia, Pennsylvania
Bull's Head
Borough
Centralia as seen from South Street, July 2010
Centralia as seen from South Street, July 2010
Location of Centralia in Columbia County, Pennsylvania
Location of Centralia in Columbia County, Pennsylvania
Centralia is located in Pennsylvania
Centralia
Centralia
Location of Centralia in Pennsylvania
Centralia is located in the United States
Centralia
Centralia
Centralia (the United States)
Coordinates: 40°48′12″N 76°20′30″W / 40.80333°N 76.34167°W / 40.80333; -76.34167
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountyColumbia
Settled1841 (as Bull's Head)
Incorporated1866 (1866) (Borough of Centralia)
Founded byJonathan Faust[1]
Government
[2][3]
 • Mayor aCarl Womer (d.2014)
Area
[4]
 • Total0.24 sq mi (0.62 km2)
 • Land0.24 sq mi (0.62 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)  0%
Elevation
[5]
1,467 ft (447 m)
Population
 (2020)[6]
 • Total5
 • Density20.833/sq mi (8.08/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code
17927 (discontinued 2002[7])
17921 (Ashland 2002–present)
Area code570
FIPS code42-12312
a Upon his death, Womer became the last official mayor of Centralia.

Centralia is a borough and near-ghost town in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Its population declined from 1,000 in 1980 to five residents in 2020[8] because a coal mine fire has been burning beneath the borough since 1962. Centralia, part of the Bloomsburg–Berwick metropolitan area, is the least-populated municipality in Pennsylvania.[9] It is completely surrounded by Conyngham Township.

All real estate in the borough was claimed under eminent domain in 1992 and condemned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Centralia's ZIP Code was discontinued by the Postal Service in 2002.[7] State and local officials reached an agreement with the then seven remaining residents on October 29, 2013, allowing them to remain in Centralia until their deaths, after which the rights to their houses will be taken through eminent domain.[10] As of 2020, only five residents remain.[11]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference DeKok was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Carl Womer, Centralia Pennsylvania's Last Mayor". Centralia PA. November 25, 2014. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
  3. ^ "Obituary of Carl T. Womer". Dean W. Kriner Funeral Home.
  4. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  5. ^ "Borough of Centralia". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference 2020CenTable was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b Krajick, Kevin (May 2005). "Fire in the hole". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved July 27, 2009.
  8. ^ "City and Town Population Totals: 2020—2021". Census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
  9. ^ Rivero, Nicolas (August 25, 2017). "The Smallest Town in Each of the 50 States". Mental Floss. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  10. ^ Ratchford, Dan (October 30, 2013). "Agreement Reached With Remaining Centralia Residents". WNEP 16. Archived from the original on May 29, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  11. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved February 17, 2024.