Blackstone is an unincorporated community in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States.
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1.6 km
Gilpin Township is a Second class Township in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a township rich in history, dating back to early 19th-century settlement. Officially incorporated on December 26, 1878, it evolved from an agricultural and timber-based economy to an industrial hub, supported by its abundant natural resources—including coal, salt, timber, natural gas, and sand—and its strategic location along the Allegheny and Kiskiminetas Rivers. These rivers not only fostered trade and transportation but also enabled Gilpin’s transformation into a manufacturing center. The township includes various communities—Bagdad, Johnetta, Schenley, Georgetown, Banfield, Forks Church, Aladdin, and Maher Heights—each contributing uniquely to its development and legacy. As of the 2020 Census, its population was 2,411.
2.3 km
The Kiskiminetas River is a tributary of the Allegheny River, approximately 27 miles long, in Western Pennsylvania in the United States. The region stretching from the northern side of Harmar Township, Pennsylvania to the Kiskiminetas towns is often referred to by the locals as the Alle-Kiski Valley after the rivers.
2.3 km
The Freeport Rail Bridge is a truss bridge that carries the Norfolk Southern Railway across the Allegheny River between Freeport and Allegheny Township in Pennsylvania.
A structure originally created on this site by the Pennsylvania Railroad as part of their West Penn Line in 1866. In 1895, the railroad replaced this bridge; the third and current incarnation was completed in 1950, along with new approach ramps that eliminated a narrow tunnel.
Prior to 1957, passenger service was carried along this line alongside freight. Following the decline of the PRR, Conrail took over control of the bridge. Currently, it is operated as part of the Pittsburgh Division of Norfolk Southern.
2.6 km
Schenley is an unincorporated community that is located in Gilpin Township, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, United States.
2.9 km
Allegheny River Lock and Dam No. 5 is a historic lock and fixed-crest dam complex located at Gilpin Township and South Buffalo Township in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. It was built between 1920 and 1927 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and consists of the lock, dam, esplanade, and Operations Building. The lock measures 56 feet by 360 feet, and has a lift of 11.6 feet. The dam measures approximately 22 feet high and 632 feet long.
It is located about 30.4 Miles up the Allegheny River from the Point in Downtown Pittsburgh. Also, it is a mere .2 Miles up the Allegheny from the mouth of the Kiskiminetas River.
Upriver, Allegheny Pool No. 5 has an average water elevation of 757 feet above sea level and extends about 5.9 miles upriver to Allegheny River Lock and Dam No. 6. Downriver, Allegheny Pool No. 4 has an average water elevation of 745.4 feet above sea level and extends about 6.2 miles downriver to Allegheny River Lock and Dam No. 4. Thus Lock No. 5 lifts and lowers boats about 11.6 feet between the pools.
The Operations Building, or powerhouse, is a utilitarian two-story building in a vernacular Moderne style. The lock and dam were built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a part of an extensive system of locks and dams to improve navigation along the Allegheny River.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.
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