Pennsalt Historic District
Courtesy of Lee Paxton
7 November 2009
Description:
The Pennsalt Historic District, also known as Pennsalt Company Houses, is a significant historical area located in Natrona, Pennsylvania. Built by the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company during the 1850s, it represents a well-preserved example of a mid to late 19th-century company town in western Pennsylvania. The district consists of approximately 150 homes constructed for Pennsalt employees between 1850 and 1880, comprising both one-story frame cottages and two-story brick rowhouses. Stretching roughly six blocks parallel to the Allegheny River, it served as a company town until the departure of Pennsalt nearly a century later.
Recognized for its architectural and historical significance, the Pennsalt Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 18, 1985. In 2001, discussions arose regarding the fate of one structure within the district, the Old Natrona Store, with local officials deeming it unsafe and costly to restore. Despite initial resistance from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, an agreement was eventually reached in November of that year, allowing for the demolition of the building after documentation of its history and preservation of its legacy.
