Frank R. Phillips Power Station
The Frank R. Phillips Power Station was built to provide coal-fueled electricity to the Pittsburgh area from South Heights, PA in 1942. At the time of its dedication in 1943, it was capable of providing power to the entire Pittsburgh area on its own and was intended to supplement the heavy demand created by the boom in local industry during World War II. Originally owned by Duquesne Light and Orion Power Midwest and named after its president at the time, the Frank R. Phillips Power Station changed hands several times during the course of its operations, but the decision to idle it was made in the 1990s because of a lack of industries in the area. Several unsuccessful attempts to restart it were made, but the eleven story building sat vacant on a lot spanning fifty acres. Considered an eyesore and a nuisance to the local police because of numerous metal thefts, in 2009 Houston-based owner RRI Energy Inc. decided to start removing equipment and machinery, and by 2010 a full scale salvage operation was underway. In 2010-2011 Global Demolition tore down the plant.
After a few years of trying, a good friend of mine was able to arrange a tour of the Frank R. Phillips Power Station less than a year before it was demolished. While the plant was a lot more modern and was much less decayed than some I have been to, the sheer scale of the plant was amazing. At over 11 stories, there was simply no way to see the whole plant in a day, but we did cover quite a bit of ground. The engineer who lead us through the plant knew every aspect of its operation and was nearly as interesting as the plant itself. It was an exhausting day in a string of long days out taking pictures, but it was still a disappointment when it ended and even moreso when the plant was demolished and the opportunity to return was gone forever.
Phillips Power Station is a chapter in my book, Abandoned America: Age of Consequences.
Buy a signed copy via this link or get it on Amazon using the link below to read more!
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