Lincoln Way is formerly an abandoned street in Clairton, Pennsylvania. Nestled away at the bottom of a hill in Clairton, the eerie little abandoned neighborhood consisted of 52 properties but never more than 40 houses. Sixteen families were driven from their homes in such a hurry leaving everything behind between the 1970s and 2009. It was demolished in 2017.
About 10 years ago, everyone moved away from their homes leaving just about all of their belongings behind. Now the street and homes lay in ruins. Some even burned completely to the ground. Others falling apart and caving in from sinkholes. A few transplants moved in that were not as trusted as the long-time residents. Grown children moved far from home and houses would sit vacant when their matriarch went to the hospital or personal care home.
Lincoln Way was once a “flourishing community” about a century ago. It was once said to be a “rich enclave” for African-American communities – established due to their segregation from nearby communities. Men who lived at Lincoln Way primarily worked at Carnegie Illinois Steel (later renamed Clairton Works), which was across the street from the entrance to the community. Pollution from coke production was part of everyday life at Lincoln Way.
Urban explorers have been looking into the historical facts for a long time with hopes of finding answers to why the residents of Lincoln Way just up and disappeared, even went as far as leaving their furniture, belongings, and valuables behind them. Some homes have been rotting years longer than others. A few of the homes on this block housed elderly people, some of whom ended up passing away with little to no family left and for whatever reason, nobody bothered to clean out any of the houses.
Mystery of Lincoln Way Clairton
Discussions on the internet forums about the reason that the homes were abandoned ran wild and came to be unfortunately defined by a mysterious story of a “Beast of Lincoln Way” hunting the residents. The beast had razor-sharp claws longer than fingers and a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, all he could do was stand completely silent in horror. This story led to the belief that the street was abandoned out of pure fear.
The growing number of abandoned homes had devastating effects on Lincoln Way and the community struggled even more to entice new residents. The last house Lincoln Way was evacuated in 2012, and since then, the community has had an eerie and post-apocalyptic vibe.
Photos of Abandoned Lincoln Way Neighborhood
We prepared 20 stunning photos of the derelict Lincoln Way Neighborhood in Clairton. Those photos were made before the site was demolished a few years ago. Now the only safe way to explore the deserted Lincoln Way area is by drone.
