Last year we visited Centralia, PA (blog entry here: Centralia 2013). We returned again this year, but before we hit Centralia, we visited the lesser known town of Byrnesville, PA.
Byrnesville in the past (photo by Mike Reilley - used with permission)
Byrnesville was a town located near Centralia and was torn down due to the mine fire. The last home was demolished in 1996.
Last home that remained in Byrnesville
(photo by Mike Reilley - used with permission)
The only structure that really remains in Byrnesville today is a shrine to the Blessed Mother.
We did pass the shrine on our trek to Centralia last year but at the time did not know what it was all about so we didn't stop. This year, being more educated, we made it a point to visit and were so glad we did.
Not only did we get to see the shrine, we had the privilege of meeting Mr. Mike Reilley. His father is the one who built the shrine many years ago and Mike is the person who maintains the shrine today.
Here are some shots of the interior. The photos are members of the Reilley family who have passed on.
Mike was such a great guy! We spoke to him for about a half an hour and he was more than happy to share stories with us about Brynesville and his experiences. It sounds like Byrnesville was the typical nice small town filled with working class, salt-of-the-earth folks. The kind of town where we would love to live!
Mike shared with us that he intended to become a coal miner but the day that he went to get a job, the mines were shut down. He told us about his family and explained that he was able to make a pretty good life after having to leave Byrnesville.
In addition to maintaining the shrine, Mike also has an amazing website all about Brynesville past and present. There are some fantastic stories and pictures there, including a shot of Mike's own house being torn down. I can't even begin to imagine what it must have felt like to watch that happening.
Mike's website can be found here: http://byrnesville.com/
He told us that there used to be statues on either side of the shrine, but people being the jerks they are (my words, not his) they were taken and smashed. (Once again, I don't know why people have to be that way. Makes absolutely no sense to me).
Undeterred, though, Mike still keeps up the shrine. He was kind enough to give me permission to use his photos, but I have only posted two here, as I urge my readers to go to Mike's actual website and see the pictures there. I can't even say enough how nice he was. I have often wondered how the people who were affected by the Centralia mine fire react to tourists. It must be jarring to have people driving through your town/area all the time, taking pictures of what was a real tragedy. Mike was super kind about it all and even told me that having people visit makes what he does all worthwhile. I really appreciated that.
It's very sad to think about the mine fire and how it changed the lives of so many people. I guess we are guilty of doing the touristy thing by going to Centralia and Byrnesville and taking pictures, however, the Crew and I do this with the utmost respect for the people of these towns. I think it's important to share these stories because you never know when something like this can happen again. It's so heartbreaking.
Again, please take the time to check out Mike Reilley's website. I guarantee you will not be disappointed!
Coming up next will be a post about our second visit to Centralia, so stay tuned!
Until Next Time,
Miss Myo
xoxoxoxoxoxo
