Coolspring Power Museum's origins go back to the early 1950s and the efforts of two collectors: John Wilcox and Paul Harvey. As their collections grew, significant pieces were gathered in a series of buildings in Coolspring, Pennsylvania.
Coolspring
Coolspring is a small community nestled in the fertile valley of Little Sandy Creek in Oliver Township, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania. Enclosed in hills and crossed by Lick Run, it remains a modest village, home to only one remaining store and the famous Coolspring Power Museum.
The first settler, Reuben Hickox, arrived in 1822. By 1833, Alexander McKinstry had purchased a large tract from the Holland Land Company, laying the groundwork for future farms and the village itself. The McKinstry family has deep roots here, including a steam-powered mill built by Thompson A. McKinstry in 1868, remnants of which still lie near the creek after a dramatic fire in 1913. The village, once known as "Cool Spring" and even "McKinstryville," officially adopted the name Coolspring in 1896 and retained its post office until 2015.
Though once bustling with multiple stores and gas pumps offering Amoco, Sterling, Atlantic, and Gulf, Coolspring has since quietened. Still, its history lingers in the stones, stories, and spirit of a place that has gracefully endured the passage of time.
Coolspring is a wonderful place with a unique charm, featuring an Antique business, a country store complete with a pot-belly stove and a variety of goodies, a huge steam engine museum, and a safe, friendly atmosphere.
