Oil Region National Heritage Area
In the northwest, check out the Oil Region National Heritage Area. Take a guess where the first oil well was drilled—no, not Texas—it was right here in a picturesque valley in Venango County, Pa.! The discovery shaped the nation and changed the world. Today, bass anglers and fly fishermen wet their lines in the scenic Allegheny River and Oil Creek, where oil coated waterways and derricks dotted the hillsides more than a century ago.
Visit the birthplace of the worldwide oil industry at the Drake Well Museum, with its full-size replica of Edwin Drake's first successful oil well, drilled in 1859. Re-live the oil days on board the Oil Creek & Titusville Railroad as stories are shared about oil boomtowns, like Pithole and Petroleum Centre, which sparkled briefly and then faded into folklore.
But that's not all. There are great places to dine and unique places to shop. Charming Victorian towns, terrific bicycle trails, "oily" music, special events, antique shops, restored theatre, specialty museums, walking tours, hearty meals, comfortable bed and breakfast facilities, and four seasons of outdoor recreation, very reasonable prices, and warm hospitality welcome you to the Original Oil Country!
Heritage Park Description
The Oil Region National Heritage Area in Venango and Crawford counties in the
northwestern part of the state is the location of a nucleus of resources
that tell the nationally significant story of the oil industry. The Oil
Heritage Region, Inc. continues to implement the recommendations of the
recently updated Management Action Plan and the 1998 OHR Interpretive
Prospectus.
Size: 708 square miles
Counties: Crawford, Venango
Population: 65,591
Municipalities:
Major Highways:
Key Communities:
Major Attractions:
Welcome Centers:
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Projects being undertaken include development of the Allegheny Valley rail-to-trail corridor, restoration of the historic Barrow Civic Theatre in Franklin City, a walking tour guide for Emlenton Borough, interpretive signage at the Drake Oil Well, development of a "Black Gold" educational video and curriculum, acquisition of a building in Franklin City for a welcome center and music museum, improvements to the historic corridor between the Perry Street Railroad Station in Titusville and the Drake Well Historic Site, development of an interpretive plan for the Heritage Park, and the hiring of a State Heritage Park Manager.
Milestones
- November 5, 1992 – Bylaws enacted
- 1994 – Designated a State Heritage Park
- 1995 - Hired first Manager
- 1996 - Incorporated
- 1997 - Moved office to One-stop shop for Venango County
- 1998 - Approved OHR interpretive Plan
- 1998 - Classified by IRS as 501 (c)(3) nonprofit
- 2000 - Activated Membership
- 2000 - Staffed Venango County Bicentennial
- 2001 - Enacted Regional Strategic Marketing Plan
- 2002 - Dedicated Belmar Bridge as part of trail crossing
Allegheny River - 2003 - Published "sketchbook of Victorian Architecture"
- 2004 - Dedicated visitor center in Emlenton
- 2004 - Prepared Regional Signage Plan
Heritage Park Organization
Oil Region National Heritage Area
Oil Region Alliance, Business, Industry and Tourism
206 Seneca Street, 4th Flr.
P.O. Box 128
Oil City, Pennsylvania 16301-0128
(814) 677-3152 ext 105 or 1-800-483-6264 ext 105
Fax: (814) 677-5206
Web: www.oilheritage.com
E-mail: mblack@oilregion.org
Contact: Marilyn Black
Title: Vice President for Heritage Development
Organization Type: non-profit
Mission/Purpose: To establish State Heritage Park which encourages and promotes economic development through the preservation and interpretation of the cultural, historic, recreational, and natural resources of the Oil Region.
Staff and Volunteers: One full-time
Involved Organizations
Additional Project Supporters
- Oil Heritage Region Tourist Promotion Agency
- DCNR
Pennsylvania's Heritage Regions
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