Preservation efforts at Titusville Iron Works recognized

May 18—A Crawford County facility that traces its roots back to the mid-19th century was recently recognized for its preservation efforts.

Titusville Iron Works was one of four recipients of a Community Initiative Award from the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office.

The four projects showcase a variety of preservation success stories, demonstrating the importance of preserving those places at the heart of Pennsylvania's communities that embody its past and present stories, the Historic Preservation Office said in announcing the awards earlier this month.

Titusville Iron Works originated as the home of Titusville Manufacturing Co., the first foundry and machine shop exclusively serving the oil industry, founded in 1860. Local businessmen purchased the company in 1895, renamed it Titusville Iron Works, diversified its product line, and expanded it with new buildings and acreage.

Over the first few decades of the 20th century, Iron Works evolved as owners consolidated other companies and business interests in the facility. In the early 1940s, the federal government invested in new machinery and buildings for Iron Works to support the war effort. By 1964, the plant was closed and the property and buildings subdivided.

In 2017, Titusville Iron Works LLC purchased the 1895 machine shop. Since then, Bob Joyce and his team at the Windfall Rod Shop, 1003 Industrial Dr., Titusville, have completed a multiyear renovation project to turn the historic industrial property into a multipurpose community gathering spot with a bar, restaurant, museum and event venue, preserving a part of Titusville's history and spurring revitalization of the city's downtown.

Other projects receiving awards were the Fallon Hotel, in Clinton County; Slate Hill Cemetery, in Bucks County; and the 1849 Nicholson Railroad Station, in Wyoming County.

There is no formal application for the Community Initiative Awards. The Historic Preservation Office, a bureau within the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission, selects candidates for consideration by reviewing success stories submitted via PA-SHARE, the state's online project management system for historic preservation efforts at share.phmc.pa.gov. The Historic Preservation Office also tracks the use of the #PreservationHappensHere hashtag, monitors social media and traditional news coverage and follows active projects that utilize federal or state programs.