In an attempt at providing better, safer housing for company workers, the Delaware Lackawanna & Western Railroad Company’s Coal Division constructed the “Garden City of the Anthracite Region” on a 39 acre tract of land located near Front St in the Hanover section of Nanticoke, Pa.
This “Garden City” is now known as “Concrete City”, due to the 20 poured concrete two story double houses. These houses were built for the valued English speaking employees such as foremen, shopmen, and technicians working at the Truedale Colliery. Construction started in September of 1911; all materials were brought in via DL&W railroad which built a track around the construction site. The sand, cement, and cinders were mixed on flat cars and they used portable hinged steel molds which allowed them to build an entire double house in a single day.
Concrete City was opened for inhabitation in 1913. The houses were erected in a rectangular fashion facing inwards to the shared park. Although, not seen today this tiny city had sidewalks, electric street lights, a concrete swimming pool (which was emptied in 1914, due to a boy drowning), playgrounds, a baseball field, and tennis courts. Each double house measured 50 x 25 feet, each half had seven rooms; the first floor consisted of the living room, dining room, and kitchen, the second floor contained four bedrooms, and each half had its own cellar.
Precautions were made to prevent water absorption mixing the concrete with coal cinders and hydraulic lime, and then plastering the walls. It seems to work for a time but by 1920 the paint and plaster was peeling from the walls. After 1921, Concrete City was controlled by Glen Alden Coal Company, whom attempted demolition but upon discovering the 100 sticks of dynamite in one building had little impact decided to abandon the site in December of 1924.
Today, the buildings are crumbling little by little but are still standing; the original paint is gone and has been replaced by copious amounts of graffiti. The narrow staircases are still climbable, some of the upper story floors have giant holes exposing the rebar, and the cellars are flooded. The inner park in overgrown, there is no trace of the pool, playgrounds, or playing field/courts. Prior to 1992, Eleventh Congressional District Heavy Equipment Center purchased Concrete City and announced its plans for demolition, fortunately the PA Historical & Museum Commission intervened. The local volunteer fire companies used the site of training, others have used it for recreational activities such as paintball tournaments, and if you wander around one can find recent campfire circles.
