It wasn’t easy, but Allegheny Township public works crews have managed to remove graffiti sprayed in September on a historic oil distillery along the Tredway Trail.
Crews first tried pressure washing with an environmentally safe cleaner.
“It didn’t do a thing,” said Roger Schwarz, public works superintendent. “I don’t know what kind of paint these guys use, but it’s really good.”
In the end, it was two days of sandblasting that got the job done.
The act of vandalism caused $3,500 in damage, court records show, leading police to file misdemeanor criminal mischief and summary disorderly conduct charges against four men they say carried it out.
The accused are Samuel Kilpatrick, 21, of Swissvale; Austin Farrell, 22, of Pleasant Hills; Oliver Burtch, 18, of Trafford; and Hunter Dow, 21, of Monroeville.
None of them had an attorney listed in court documents. Their preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 26.
In the criminal complaint, township police Cpl. Edward Boop said the defendants were discovered with paint on their hands and clothes as well as numerous spray paint cans, markers and nozzles.
Police Chief Dan Uncapher previously said he believes this was carried out by a tagging group that posted online about their plans to mark this spot.
As for the distillery, Schwarz said it’s not “100% the way it was,” but it’s close.
Built in 1858 by the Lucesco Oil Co. to turn cannel coal into oil, the facility ran for just a few years before the discovery of petroleum in Titusville started an oil rush that made Lucesco’s method obsolete.
Despite efforts to pivot away from cannel oil, Lucesco faced financial hardship and went up for sale in 1866.
The distillery has been little but a landmark on the trail ever since.