Behind the PACA building in Erie, PA stands a rusted, twisted girder beam—one of the few surviving physical remnants of the catastrophic Mill Creek Flood of 1915.

On August 3rd of that year, a tropical system collided with a Great Lakes low-pressure front, unleashing 5.77 inches of rain in just a few hours over the Mill Creek watershed. The city’s culverts and bridges were overwhelmed, and when the northern culvert buckled, a wall of water surged through downtown Erie, destroying over 400 buildings and claiming nearly 30 lives. The flood was so intense it washed out railway tracks and reshaped entire neighborhoods.

The girder behind PACA (Performing Artists Collective Alliance), formerly part of the Mayer Building’s industrial infrastructure, was bent by the force of floodwaters that tore through the area. It had once supported cargo operations along Mill Creek, but now it stands as a silent witness to Erie’s most devastating natural disaster. Preserved in place, the beam is a haunting artifact—its warped metal a testament to the sheer power of nature and the fragility of human engineering. For visitors and locals alike, it offers a visceral connection to a moment when Erie’s landscape was forever changed.