NOTE: The Powder Hole is on Privately Owned Property - No Trespassing

This site is the result of a semester long Industrial Archeology project conducted at
Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA.

The Powder Hole, as it is nicknamed, are the remains of a 19th century gun powder mill located near
Wapwallopen, Pa. The mill operated in the era between 1850 and 1915. The mill site consists of nearly
300 acres and was once owned by The Dupont Company as the Wapwallopen Mills.

The Powder Hole is quite an amazing place; it can be considered an historical-archeological jewel. It is
located in a remote valley with many building foundations and traces of other infrastructure.  This industrial complex once employed near 300 people. As of this time a formal historical documentation of this site does not exist and no efforts are active in preserving what is left.
The significance of this site is greatly under appreciated.

Our project started as a curiosity of what this site was; early on we were astounded. Our research efforts seem to have just scratched the surface
of the story this place holds from business take-overs, technological and manufacturing process advancements
to the personal stories of the people who worked there and the many who died.

We have presented in the following pages what we have learned during this project combined with information from past works.
The Powder Hole was once listed to be a Pennsylvania State Park but it didn't happen.
Our intent is to arouse interest in the wealth of history that lies in this valley and to capture and preserve the story of this mill
and the story of the people whose lives it affected.

Please view and enjoy the following links.