Taylorstown PA

The Anderson & Buchanan Connection:

Taylorstown, PA 15365

Where our trail began...

Taylorstown? Just had to find out more!

A Google search gave us some enticing leads...from Thursday, January 27, 1887 and Thursday, September 29, 1887. (source: Google Search: '''Anderson & Buchanan' Taylorstown")

We began to narrow things down...

...and discovered this small town. Links below are to Google Street View images.

We headed towards the center of Taylorstown down this gentle curve, turning left at the four 
corners around the Presbyterian Church (across from the Taylorstown Christian Church.)

As we turned onto Taylorstown's Main Street, we were entering the Taylorstown Historic District (click to enlarge or read original page.) email Washington County History & Landmarks

There were vacant lots and ruins, any one of which might have been the site of the Anderson & Buchanan store. It was difficult to tell if their building was still standing as we passed through.

Our attention was drawn to the many Victorian & Federal style windows that surrounded us on Main St. The Post Office seemed to be among the newest buildings in town. (Remarkably for such a small community, they still had one!)

Some of the earliest buildings had metal anchors and stone lentils.

Paint colors were used to emphasize some of the Victorian features.

Some folks used a single color for the entire house...

...but most used color to complement their restorations.

Not every building in town was restored. This one had an addition attached to the original Federal structure. The addition (left) appeared to be in worse shape than the original.

21st century pedestrians come across occasional stretches of what might have been Victorian sidewalks. They disappear into vacant lots only to reappear further on.

Motorists fare no better. This appears to be a remnant of a very early gas station.

The only other pumps appear to have been removed from the front of this closed store, which was for sale when we (via Google's Street View) drove by in July 2012. There were no operating gas stations nearby.

Accustomed to seeing weight limits for bridges, we were surprised to see this sign. It was good not to be driving ANY vehicle over this colorful bridge:

Historic? No doubt. Safe? Maybe.

We departed Taylorstown reluctantly, as we had not been able to complete our original mission, to identify the location of the former Anderson & Buchanan store.

P.S. Just found this interesting video on YouTube. It's been 24 years since it was filmed. I wonder what's happened to the bridge since then...

YouTube also revealed that Taylorstown residents have been influenced by the natural gas extraction process called "fracking" in the years since Google Street View passed by.

clipped from the video below:

As Cineplex Rex shows, activity surrounding fracking sites when they are first constructed can be very disruptive:

 Anna Belle Peevey's video gives us a narrative of fracking's consequences near Taylorstown:

Money isn't everything!

If you have more information, please comment below. We would love to hear from you!