Pennsylvania is a state of sprawling cities, bustling suburbs, and thousands of charming small towns. But in a state with millions of residents, one municipality holds the unique and somber distinction of being the smallest of them all. While populations can fluctuate, the title of the smallest incorporated town (borough) in Pennsylvania consistently belongs to the near-ghost town of Centralia in Columbia County, a community with a story unlike any other.
The Tiny Borough of Centralia: The Story of Pennsylvania's Smallest Town
Centralia was not always so small. It was once a thriving mining community in the heart of Pennsylvania's anthracite coal region, with a population of over 1,000 residents in its heyday. Its fate was sealed by a catastrophic event that began in 1962.
- The Mine Fire: An underground coal mine fire started, reportedly from the burning of trash in an abandoned strip mine pit, which then ignited a coal seam. The fire was never extinguished and continues to burn in the labyrinth of mines beneath the town to this day.
- The Aftermath: Over the next several decades, the underground fire caused the ground to become unstable, opened dangerous sinkholes, and released toxic gases like carbon monoxide. The most famous incident occurred in 1981 when a 12-year-old boy nearly fell to his death in a steaming sinkhole that suddenly opened in his backyard.
Relocation and Decline:
Following the 1981 incident, the federal government allocated over $42 million to relocate the vast majority of Centralia's residents. Most of the homes and buildings were demolished, and the state of Pennsylvania eventually condemned the borough and revoked its zip code.
Centralia Today: A Handful of Residents Remain
Despite the condemnation and the ever-present danger, a handful of residents refused to leave, fighting for the right to stay in their homes.
- Population: According to the most recent U.S. Census data, the official population of the Borough of Centralia is just 5 residents. This makes it, by a wide margin, the least populated municipality in Pennsylvania.
- What's Left: Today, Centralia is a haunting and fascinating destination. Visitors will find a grid of empty, overgrown streets, a few remaining homes, several cemeteries, and the famous "Graffiti Highway"—a stretch of the abandoned Route 61 that has buckled from the underground fire and is now covered in decades of colorful graffiti.
The story of Centralia is both tragic and compelling. Its title as the smallest town in Pennsylvania is the result of a slow-moving environmental disaster that erased a once-thriving community. For the few residents who remain, it is still home. For visitors, it's a sobering and unforgettable look at a town with a fiery secret burning just beneath the surface.
Sources:
- U.S. Census Bureau (Population Data)
- Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development
- Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau
- United States Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (for information on the mine fire)
- Historical accounts and documentaries about the Centralia mine fire
