{"nrhp_refnum":"66000695","name":"Drake Oil Well","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"3 mi. SE of Titusville on PA 36, in Drake Well Memorial Park","address_restricted":false,"city":"Titusville","county":"Venango County","state":"PA","lat":41.61123797500005,"lon":-79.65829051899993,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1966-11-13","is_nhl":true,"nhl_designated_date":"1966-11-13","areas_of_significance":["Industry"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A reconstructed oil well and derrick in Drake Well State Park, south of Titusville in Venango County, Pennsylvania, on the original site of the first well drilled for petroleum. The replica is housed in a steeple-like derrick tower at one end of a one-story gabled shed, with a museum and library in a modern brick building nearby.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the site is significant as the location where Edwin L. Drake drilled the world's first oil well in 1859, which started the petroleum boom in the Titusville region. The original derrick burned in 1859 and was rebuilt within a month, and the region remained the nation's oil center for the following quarter century.","narrative":"Drake Well State Park, south of Titusville in Venango County, Pennsylvania, preserves the site where Edwin L. Drake drilled the world's first commercial oil well. Drake, a former railroad conductor, was hired by the Seneca Oil Company to produce oil, and he chose drilling over digging. In early June 1858 a derrick was raised over the hole, powered by a steam engine that drove a white oak battering ram. Cast iron pipe was used to keep the walls from collapsing. On August 27, 1859, the drill reached 69.5 feet and oil rose in the pipe, starting an oil boom that drew crowds to the region. The original derrick burned in October 1859 and Drake rebuilt it within a month. The Titusville area remained the nation's oil center for about 25 years afterward. The replica on the site dates from 1945 and reproduces the original tower and shed. A museum and library nearby hold exhibits and a large oil industry collection.","period_of_significance":"1859","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"The current replica was built in 1945 on the original site, after the original structure was destroyed by fire; the park is owned by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:29.233667-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/66000695_NHL.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/66000695/2ef81788cf-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/66000695/2ef81788cf-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Unknown authorUnknown author","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:First_U.S._oil_rig_with_Edwin_Drake,_crop.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Unknown authorUnknown author</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:First_U.S._oil_rig_with_Edwin_Drake,_crop.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71994413","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake_Well","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5305631"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/venango-county/drake-oil-well-66000695/"}