HAL

Allegheny County Workhouse Farm

Astronomy banner

The town of Blawnox was encircled and dominated by one large facility - the Allegheny County Workhouse farm.

When I was a kid and a teen I would often venture into the farm property, either to swipe apples from the giant orchard, or just to hike to the top of what us locals called TiT Hill.

I also want to achnowledge that the pix are from the book "At home on the Workhouse Farm" by Margaret Kincaid Look. It is a wonderful book and has WAY more info than what is here. I do not know it it is still available to purchase, but if so please buy a copy.

I wish to acknowledge GPT-5 (HAL) for co-authorship of this page.

File 1

This is looking up to the top of the farm and orchard, a place us kids called Tit Hill. We would often party there since we could see the only road from a mile away.

File 2

Looking back across a lower field to the workhouse building.

File 3

Looking down Freeport road from the south, at the giant stone wall that defined the southern edge of Blawnox.

File 4

The main building from the railroad tracks below.

File 5

File 5

File 6

File 6

File 7

Many of the pictures come from this book. They are copied here for educational use.

File 8

File 8

File 9

View from above. Freeport road is at top.

File 10

When in HS a good friend lived in the deputy supervisors house. I would often visit him there and it was fun walking past the guards.

File 11

File 11

File 12

A view from the very western part of the property. Tit hill is to the right. This area used to have a hermit named Old Joe living here. I could see his windmill from my bedroom window as an infant. My brother would do chores for him in return for being allowed to hunt and trap on his land.

File 13

File 13

File 14

File 14

File 15

This was the farm house. It was right across from the elementary school. Alas, the wiindows for the cafeteria, when it was put in, faced the slaughter yards.

File 16

File 16

File 17

File 17

File 18

File 18

File 19

File 19

File 20

When I was a kid that had stopped raisiing cattle.

File 21

File 21

File 22

File 22

File 23

File 23