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–Not graded
History · Allison

Allison’s post office opened in 1913, and 53% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: 1 old photo or paper.

1913first post office
0on the National Register
53%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Allison’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Allison began

When was Allison founded?

1913

The Allison post office opened in 1913, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 503113 years
Founding year: the first Allison post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).

What stands out about Allison’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Allison’s homes were built before 1938.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Allison’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Allison’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo1 archive item has no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewAllison No. 1 Mine & Coke Works, Coke O…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story so far

Allison, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Allison yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Allison is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP), which is located in Luzerne and Redstone townships in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is situated 3 miles (5 km) south of the borough of Brownsville. As of the 2020 census, Allison had a population of 503. The CDP includes the neighborhood of Allison Heights in Luzerne Township. Dunlap Creek flows through the center of the CDP, forming the border between Luzerne and Redstone townships.

Its first post office opened in 1913. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 625 to 503 (-20%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

By decade

Allison, decade by decade

Date unknown1 to date
Allison No. 1 Mine & Coke Works, Coke Ovens, South of mining complex, East side of Redstone CreekDate?Allison No. 1 Mine & Coke Works, Coke Ovens, South of…
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Allison No. 1 Mine & Coke Works, Coke Ovens, South of mining complex, East side of Redstone Creek
Retake this viewAllison No. 1 Mine & Coke Works, Coke Ovens, South of mining complex, East side of Redstone Creek

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Allison’s page.

Retake this view · +15
Famous people

Famous people close to Allison

Nobody well known was born in Allison itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
James G. BlaineAmerican politician · b. 1830
Billy BartyAmerican film actor · b. 1924
Philander C. KnoxAmerican lawyer, banker, and politician · b. 1853
Vinnie ColaiutaAmerican drummer · b. 1956
V
Viola LiuzzoAmerican activist and murder victim · b. 1925
A
Andy LindenRacecar driver · b. 1922
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Redstone Township5 historic placesA+Luzerne Township3 historic placesA+

Questions about Allison’s history

What year was Allison founded?

The Allison post office opened in 1913, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From the Library of Congress (1). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.