From glory days to going bust. Girardville’s nearly 200-year timeline reads like a rollercoaster of ups and downs. But the future of this tiny Schuylkill County coal town remains very much in doubt.
1830 — Stephen Girard buys vast coal-rich lands
The Philadelphia philanthropist purchases the land that becomes Girardville.
1831 — Girard dies before ever seeing his town
The felled millionaire’s planned mansion still stands today.
1852 — Mapping of the region’s coal veins
The Mammoth anthracite vein, the town’s blessing and its curse, is charted.
A map of Girardville, Pa.Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.comDan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com
Post–Civil War (late 1860s) — Railroad arrival triggers coal boom
Rail access ignites Girardville’s explosive growth.
1873 — The future Hibernian House is born
Originally built as a two‑story shop, owned by the Kehoe family, it later becomes a tavern, hotel, museum, and historical shrine, lovingly tended by descendants of an executed “Molly Maguire” member.
1875 — The “Long Strike” begins (six months)
Coal miners walk out after wage cuts imposed by monopolistic coal and railroad companies, fueling the early American labor movement.
1878 — Execution of Irish labor activists, including John “Black Jack” Kehoe
Kehoe, a Girardville constable and ancestor of Hibernian House owner Joe Wayne, is hanged on what historians now call fabricated evidence. He’s one of 20 executed across the anthracite region in the 1870s.
A Hibernian House Tavern mural shows the executed Molly Maguires (foreground). John J. Kehoe’s great grandson Joseph J. Wayne owns the history-steeped bar in Girardville.Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.comDan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com
Post World War II (mid 1940s) — First major crack in the coal economy
After seeing the best and worst of the world, some returning veterans refuse to go back into Girardville’s mines. Generational loyalty to the town begins to break.
1950s–1960s — Mass youth outmigration
Girardville’s young people leave for college and better jobs. Meanwhile, automation and strip mining reduce the need for miners as the coal market continues to crumble.
Coal mining, once a lifeblood, faded into history. Pictured: A Hibernian House mural preserves the town’s mining heritage.
Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.comDan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com
1970s — The great unraveling
Girardville’s decline accelerates with the collapse of its coal economy.
1979 — Posthumous pardon of “Black Jack” Kehoe
Joe Wayne helps clear his great‑grandfather’s name. The pardon certificate remains on proud display at the Hibernian House.
1980s–1990s — Economic and environmental deterioration worsens
Culm banks and slag heaps encircle Girardville. Streams run orange from acid mine drainage. An out-of-control mine fire in nearby Centralia turns that community into a ghost town.
The Mahanoy Creek runs orange from acid mine drainage.Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.comDan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com
2002 — Joe Wayne takes over Hibernian House
He transforms it into a living monument to labor, mining, and Irish history, complete with dioramas, murals, and museum‑level artifact displays.
2006 — Immaculate Heart School closes
Girardville’s last school closes, silencing the sounds of children’s playground laughter and extinguishing any spirit the town had left.
2008 — Former President Bill Clinton attends legendary St. Patrick’s Day celebration
An estimated 30,000 people flood the town as Clinton swigs a Guinness at the Hibernian House –until Secret Service drags him out. It marks the town’s last high-water mark.
The Hibernian House bar.Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.comDan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com
2024 — Police department disbanded
Citing costs and unprofessionalism, Girardville acts to terminate its police department. EMS services are also gone, but volunteer fire company protection remains.
2025 — No mayor candidates; last church closes
No one appears on the ballot for mayor of Girardville. A write-in winner is eventually sworn in. The town’s last church is shuttered right after Christmas.
2026 — Girardville’s new leaders court incoming residents
A relatively young and new slate of borough council members, a secretary-treasurer and newly seated mayor pin hopes on newcomers, many of whom are minorities. Can struggling Girardville become a “blank slate” for a new future?
This property is off limits due to unsafe conditions. Girardville desperately needs new investment to have a future.Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.comDan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com