The iron ore that was mined needed to be washed to remove dirt, clay, and sand before it could be shipped to its final destination in Pittsburgh.
The process of washing the iron ore required vast amounts of water, and initially much of that water was pumped from what is now known as 10 Acre Pond , where to this day you can find concrete remnants of the water-pumping operation.
Once vast quantities of high-grade iron ore had been discovered in Minnesota, it was more economical for Carnegie to obtain what he needed for his steel mills there. The Bellefonte Furnace Company operated the Scotia mines for another decade, but as the quality and quantity of iron ore produced there decreased, it became economically impossible to continue.
The mines closed, the equipment was sold off and disassembled, and homes were dismantled for their lumber. By the early s all that remained of Scotia was a few vacant buildings and foundations of what had once-been a thriving community.
Today the remains of the ghost town of Scotia can be found on adjacent parcels of land owned by Patton Township and the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The most prominent man-made features still visible are the remnants of the ore washer operations. Like a concrete skeleton, the remains of the abandoned ore washer at Scotia are a silent reminder that a once-bustling industrial operation existed in this modern-day forest.
From an obvious footpath just beyond the gate at the back of the parking lot, follow the trail to the left west for approximately yards to the base of the ruins. State Game Lands in general, and the Scotia ruins in particular, are a popular destination for area hikers, mountain bikers, and trail runners. The ruins have also been a popular party spot for many decades, at least since the 80s when I moved to State College.
Approximately yards to the north of the Scotia ruins parking area lies a large ore pond , a pit where iron ore was once excavated, now filled in with water. Because of the high iron content in the water, the pond takes on some seemingly-unnatural colors, almost fluorescent at times. Despite its unnatural, man-made origines, the ore pond is a fairly photogenic spot and worth a quick look while visiting the ruins of Scotia.
In the boomtown days of Scotia, 10 Acre Pond was an important source of water along with wells dug later for both the ore washing operation, as well as replenishing the steam engines that rolled into Scotia twice daily. As with many industrial operations of the time, accidental deaths were not uncommon, and rumors of hauntings by the recently-deceased accompanied those sudden deaths. But the most persistent ghost story related to Scotia involved no accident, but rather revolves around a murder that took place in Bert quickly became the prime suspect, and faced with overwhelming evidence turned up during the investigation including the bloody razor used to cut Mrs.
Bert Delige was publicly hanged at the Bellefonte jail courtyard on April 25, , the last public hanging in Centre County. His body was returned to the Scotia Barrens as the land around Scotia was and still is called and he was buried in unconsecrated ground near his family homestead. To this day, rumors of a large, black, human-shaped figure wandering the Scotia Barrens persist, and sightings seem to peak around the date of his execution on April 25th. The Arboretum at Penn State is a fantastic collection of botanic gardens, fountains, ponds, walking trails, and pollinator habitats all located on the north end of the Penn State main campus in State College.
Exploring Black Moshannon State Park in Centre County will introduce you to this popular Centre County park built, coincidentally, on top of another ghost town named Antes.
Exploring Greenwood Furnace State Park in Huntingdon County introduces you to yet another state park built on the site of a ghost town, this one the former boomtown of Greenwood. The abandoned lime kilns at Canoe Creek State Park are remnants of a thriving limestone-processing facility that once operated around the clock in this now-tranquil corner of neighboring Blair County. Exploring Concrete City in Luzerne County takes you inside this former coal company housing complex abandoned just a decade after it opened.
Exploring the Abandoned PA Turnpike takes you inside what is arguably the largest abandoned site in Pennsylvania, a 13 mile-long stretch of former superhighway-turned bike path. Click on any of the icons below to get connected to PA Bucket List on social media! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. PA Bucket List. PA Abandoned Places.
Portrait of Andrew Carnegie, who founded the town of Scotia public domain image. Winter at the Scotia ruins near State College. Portions of the wall here were moss-covered which was really neat to see. While at this structure, you may notice two hillsides on either end of the building. I believe, but am not totally sure, that these were part of the railroad and that a bridge once spanned the hillsides here.
The contours of the hillsides seem perfect for a railroad, and there was one that once ran right through this area. I definitely recommend having some sort of GPS with you or making sure your phone has good coverage before venturing off the main trails. While the ruins of Scotia, PA, might be the highlight of State Game Lands , this is also an incredibly beautiful and unique area of the state.
Because of this, I highly recommend at least driving further into the area. About a mile further down the road, the forest opens up and you can see the full uniqueness of the barrens.
If you are looking to get into the outdoors this area is right up there with Mount Nittany as a fantastic spot to explore. Looking for more places to visit near State College? Jim Cheney is the creator of UncoveringPA.
Based in the state capital of Harrisburg, Jim frequently travels around Pennsylvania and has visited, written about, and photographed all 67 counties in the state. He has also traveled to more than 30 different countries around the world.
This is very interesting. They lost their home to a fire. My father was born in I do not know if you could find more information from the Lukens family in Port Matilda. I was a young child when my grandparents took me into Scotia and showed me the remains of their home that burned.
Thanks for uncovering PA. I too, Connie, have some interest in knowing about Scotia. My great father Mark Lykens worked in the ore mines there. Florence Lykens is a relative of mine.
I enjoyed visiting them often while growing up. Also Mrs. So Sotica always fascinated me. He had an ionosphere research lab in the Scotia Barrens. He had high voltage electrical equipment he used to generate pulse waves that he bounced off the ionesphere.
I was a child at the time and went there with him a number of times, but have no idea of the location of his lab. It was a small stand alone building.
There is no address. If you head west from State College on Rt. Follow that road for maybe two miles, then turn left onto a stone road. It is on state game lands property. Not sure of the legality of using a metal detector on the lands, though. No, it is not legal to dig for or remove artifacts. I live in Marysville, which is one of the leftover villages from those days. I grew up there, and have always been fascinated with the history surrounding the place.
I have been trying to locate where he is buried. The newspaper article about the accident did not mention where he was buried, but said he was totally crushed, Thinking he may have been buried nearby.
Do you know the name of the church? Thank you so much for any information you can provide. And have a Merry Christmas! Sincerely, Jeanne Baker [email protected]. Hi there! I found this article and saw your comment. Hope this helps! Be aware! The ruins are crawling with deer ticks — removed two of them after scrambling up one of the moss-covered walls. Lots of foundations.
The purple lizard historical map that is out of print is great- we have one. Such a fun area to explore. The ruins on the left side of the road are the Carnegie washer.
We are in the process of recreating in HO scale what we can of the operation and village. The two-tier structure may be an ash pit. Locomotives would pull over the pit hence the bridge supports to empty ash from the fire box. I read about something like this sometime in the past 60 years.
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