The Real Town of Silent Hill Its called Centralia, Pennsylvania, and while not what inspired the games it is the place that inspired the setting for the films and they share quite a few similarities. Centralia is a near-ghost town in Columbia County, Pennsylvania. Its population has dwindled from over 1,000 residents in 1981 to 10 as of 2010, as a result of the Centralia mine fire burning beneath the town since 1962. All properties in the town were claimed under eminent domain by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1992 (and all buildings condemned), and Centralias ZIP code revoked by the Postal Service. State and local officials reached an agreement with the remaining residents allowing them to live out their lives there, after which the rights of their properties will be taken. Centralia has been used as a model for many different ghost towns and physical manifestations of Hell. Examples include Dean Koontzs Strange Highways and David Wellingtons Vampire Zero, and, as stated, the film adaptation of Silent Hill.
Posted on: Thu, 08 Jan 2015 05:13:36 +0000