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Located in Kittanning, the Armstrong County Courthouse and Jail were erected
between 1870 and 1873. James McCullough, Jr. was the architect.It has gone through changes through the years and just recently,
during the floods of 2004, suffered a mudslide which buried the bottom level in several feet of mud.
Bethel Township
Crooked Creek Presbyterian Church began meeting about 1814. The church
building was still unfinished in 1834. The present frame church building was built in 1870. Across the road from the church
lies the Cemetery.
Burrell Township
Burrell Township was named for Judge Burrell who was President Judge for the 10th Judicial District.
About 1820 John Parks began a salt works in this area. They were not profitable and eventually were abandoned.
Brick Church, aka St. Michael's
Evangelical Lutheran Church was one of the first churches of the area to be made of brick. It was first built in 1852,
razed in 1860 and another building was erected. In 1876 there were over 200 members.
Cochran's Mills was named for Michael Cochran who opened the first store
there in 1849. The first settler was probably George Painter who built a grist mill and saw mill there in 1804. They were
eventually bought by Michael Cochran. When the post office opened there in 1843, the name was Pitt's Mill and it changed to
Cochran's Mills in 1855. Today you won't find it on a map but it was in the area of Crooked Creek State Park.
John Shaeffer opened a powder mill on Pine Creek in 1822. In 1824 an explosion damaged the mill. It was converted to
a linseed oil mill and later to a distillery.
East Franklin Township
Union First Presbyterian Church aka Boyd's
Upper Meeting House was begun about 1799 with Rev. John Boyd being an early minister (about 1802) It was part of the
Redstone Presbytery and located in Cowansville. It was first listed as located in Allegheny County. The first church building
was built of logs and was situated near the southeast corner of what is now the cemetery, behind the current building. In
1840 the roof of the church collapsed under the weight of a heavy snow.
Mahoning Township
Phoenix Furnace was located near the northeast corner of the county on
Mahoning Creek. It was built around 1846, but the ore was not of good quality and the furnace closed in 1853.
The town of Presque Isle was laid out in 1844. Houses were built and in
1852 the town had 15 taxable people residing there. The town quickly disappeared.
Pierce, now New Salem was
laid out in 1850. By 1876 it had 150 inhabitants.
The town of Independence was established in 1855. It probably grew due
to the foundry and sawmills that were built there a few years prior to that date. By the early 1900's few houses remained.
Sugarcreek Township
St. Patrick's Catholic Church held it's first mass in 1806. It was the
first Roman Catholic Church west of the Allegheny Mountains. In 1842 they moved from the log church to a newer building, but
returned to the log church when the newer church was struck by lightning in 1872. A new church was built and used. The log
church had not been used for some time when it was rebuilt in 1925.
Wayne Township
Dayton Soldier's Orphan School was established about 1867 for the education
of those whose father died during the Civil War. Two buildings burned in 1888 and the school probably closed about that time.
West Franklin Township
In 1805 the Craig family started a Fulling Mill here. About 1835 they started manufacturing woolen products. Craig Woolen Mills burned twice and was rebuilt. Craigsville grew up around this mill. The house that was
owned by the Craig family was rumored to be a part of the underground railroad.
Buffalo Furnace originated in 1840. It employed 100 people and produced
about 33 tons of iron per week.
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