Livermore, Pennsylvania
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Livermore, Pennsylvania is the name of a former borough located on the Conemaugh River in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.
The town was located on the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal system. It was named for Alonzo Livermore, a canal engineer. The town had grown considerably by the 1860s and was incorporated as a borough in 1863.
The town was razed in the early 1950's to make way for the Conemaugh River dam and lake, a flood control project on the Conemaugh River. The townsite is now under the waters of the Conemaugh River Lake reservoir.
An urban legend has developed that the town was wiped out in a flood that caused great loss of life. This rumor is false. The buildings of the small town were condemned and torn down before the dam was built and the residents of the town were all safely moved to new homes.
Another urban legend is that George Romero’s cult horror movie Night of the Living Dead was filmed here. This too is false. The movie was actually filmed in Evans City, Pennsylvania more than 30 miles from Livermore.
This urban legend and numerous ghost stories that have developed around it has caused considerable vandalism at the local cemetery. Because of this, access to the cemetery is now heavily restricted and anyone who goes there without authorization may be subject to arrest for trespassing.
One true claim to fame for the small town is that it was the birthplace of Samuel Martin Kier, considered the father of the American petroleum refining industry.
