Before it became a park the Oil Creek Valley was occupied by towns, small settlements, many farms, and oil infrastructure. Today only the foundations of a few buildings remain. During the heyday of the Oil Boom people lived, had lives, and died. Many were buried in the cemeteries that are now part of the park. The headstones of a few remain.
There may be as many as 5 cemeteries in the park but only 2 are easily accessible to visitors. It is the goal of the Friends of Oil Creek State Park to help with maintenance and cleaning of headstones and gathering data about the individuals and families that lived and died during that period of time.
The Petroleum Center cemetery is the largest and best maintained. Park staff periodically mow the cemetery but some areas have become so overgrown that mowing is impossible. Two smaller burial areas are nearby but are not mowed due to the many trees and shrubs. The Gerard Hiking Trail passes near the Petroleum Center Cemetery.
The Miller Farm Cemetery is located north of Miller Road and just uphill from Oil Creek. The Gerard Hiking Trail passes near the cemetery. The cemetery is currently not maintained and has several large/dead trees. The park is considering doing a workshop to help individuals learn how to clean, and rehabilitate headstones at Miller Farm.
The Columbia Farm Cemetery is much smaller and more difficult to find. It is not maintained and the park would prefer that visitors not attempt to access this location.
The Friends along with park staff and the Venango County Historical Society plan to gather information about those buried in the cemetery
In 2025 DCNR presented a workshop at the Petroleum Center Cemetery to teach volunteers how to clean headstones.
Click on the image below to see the process and learn some additional details.
The chemicals and tools used are specially made to remove dirt and organic matter without damaging the headstones.
In June of 2026, a team from DCNR with students from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) visited the Petroleum Center, Miller Farm and Columbia Farm cemeteries to collect information from the headstones and define the physical parameters and conditions at the 3 locations. Team members are majoring in Archeology and Mapping (GIS). Using headstone inscription information, they will do additional research to gain a better picture of the individuals and families. The results of their work will be provided to DCNR and Oil Creek State Park to help the park determine next steps in dealing with the cemeteries.
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Questions or Comments can be sent to comments@friendsocsp.org