Eureka Coal Heritage Foundation

Happy New Year!

WCHC will close on Friday, December 30 at 5:00 p.m. and will be closed December 31 through January 2.

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The Windber Coal Heritage Center is the only interactive museum in the eastern U.S. dedicated to telling the story of the everyday lives of miners and their families.

The Windber Coal Heritage Center's state-of-the-art exhibits, media presentations and archives describe the everyday life of a coal miner and his family, the evolution of coal mining technology, the struggle for unionization and the impact western PA bituminous coal mining had by fueling the fires of the industrial revolution.  The Windber Coal Heritage Center also interprets the significance of 13 dependent mining communities surrounding a model mining town and coal company regional headquarters producing over 190 million tons of coal from 1890 to 1962.

Windber, Pennsylvania was created overnight by the Berwind-White Coal Mining Company. Coal companies like Berwind-White would create large scale housing developments with houses, stores, churches, and recreational parks. Next, they would invite immigrants to come live in the town where they would work above or below ground, supporting the Windber coal mines. Even today, the remnants of 'the old Windber' can be seen through the remaining structures.

We invite you to explore the rest of our site to learn more about life in Windber, both above and below the ground.