Boswell in Somerset County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Thomas Boswell

Photographed by Bradley Owen, August 26, 2026

1. Thomas Boswell Marker

Inscription.
Boswell was named in honor of Thomas Taylor Boswell, President of the Merchants Coal Company in Baltimore, Maryland. Thomas T. Boswell was born in 1859 in Herny County, Virginia and arrived in Baltimore, Maryland with his parents in 1874 at the age of 15. He came to what is now Boswell in 1901 at the age of 42.

Thomas T. Boswell is credited with the development of the Boswell area coal fields, the building of the Boswell Branch of the B&O Railroad and for the permanent stone buildings and unique architecture that were then and still are landmarks. His foresighted planning in the construction of the mining facilities, which included the construction of the world's largest viaduct and coal tipple, and the layout of the town that would bear his name is a testimony to the entrepreneurial ability and leadership that Thomas T. Boswell brought to the region.

Thomas T. Boswell passed away in 1929 at the age of 70.

(Caption):

Thomas Boswell (1859 - 1929)

Erected by Boswell Area Historical Society.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce

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• Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1859.

Location. 40° 9.948′ N, 79° 1.829′ W. Marker is in Boswell, Pennsylvania, in Somerset County. It is on Penn Avenue (Pennsylvania Route 601) north of Blacks Hill Road (Local Route 735), on the right when traveling north. Marker is located in Orenda Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3421 Penn Avenue, Boswell PA 15531, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands.

It is also in the American Northeast,

in the Mid-Atlantic,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy

and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Boswell Brick Plant (here,

Photographed by Bradley Owen, August 26, 2026

2. Thomas Boswell Marker

next to this marker); Jenner Brewing Company Bricks (here, next to this marker); Industrial Heritage Along the Lincoln Highway (here, next to this marker); Boswell Panorama (within shouting distance of this marker); Town of Boswell (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Boswell Legion Veterans Memorial (approx. ¼ mile away); Highway Attractions (approx. 1.6 miles away); Log Grist Mill (approx. 1.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Boswell.

Credits. This page was last revised on September 13, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 13, 2026, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. This page has been viewed 6 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 13, 2026, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia.