Historic Village, Homestead, & Rye Whiskey Distillery. Birthplace of Henry Clay Frick. West Overton is the only intact, pre-Civil War era Village in PA.
The birthplace of coal and coke magnate, Henry Clay Frick, WO also features the historic Mennonite homestead of Abraham Overholt and the original distillery where Old Farm Pure Rye Whiskey was produced. WO will begin distilling its original recipe again in the near future. The village is an homage to the period between 1800 and 1919 and delves into coverlet weaving and whiskey distillation. Hundre
ds of couples have said "I do" at our distinctive historic venue: brick barn, mansion lawn, gardens, and museum spaces.
Operating as usual
Have you tried our new Christmas cocktails? Try one and pick up a bottle for a Christmas gift during Christmas by Candlelight. The event continues tonight and tomorrow, 4-8pm. Walk-ins are welcome but are first come, first served. Ticket link below.
Nowadays, many children grow up believing in Santa Claus, but before the 1900s there were many versions of Saint Nicholas and dozens of different gift bringers at Christmas time.
Do you know this one? Fans of The Office might recognize this crotchety old gift giver.
Overholt children excitedly awaited the arrival of Belsnickel during the Christmas season. If the children were good, they’d receive treats. If they were bad, well…let’s just say this gift bringer carried a switch.
The gift bringer your family believed in varied depending on the region of Europe from which your family immigrated, your religion, and more.
Learn more about gift bringers and other traditions at Christmas by Candlelight, sponsored by Armstrong. For now, here is an interview excerpt with 98-year-old Mrs. Anna Faddis from Lansdale, PA. This is from the Philadelphia North American in 1913. “At this time of the year we children didn't know of Santa Claus. He is just a new-Fangled Christmas saint. We had the old Beltznickel, who used to come right in on Christmas eve and look as if he was going to whip us, but always gave us candy instead. Some of our neighbors had Kris Kringle, who wasn’t so stern as the Beltznickel at first, and couldn't be any jollier afterward.”
We would like to send a special thank you to everyone that made the Holiday Makers Market such a success! We are beyond grateful for all of our staff, volunteers, raffle basket donors, vendors, and of course, our shoppers. This event would not be possible without you.
THANK YOU! ❤️
We hope to see you all in May for our Spring Makers Market, Saturday, May 20th!
Save the date! 🗓
Christmas at West Overton has officially begun! 🎄
Need a holiday gift for that special someone? Or maybe a few stocking stuffers for the kids? Our 30+ vendors have something for everyone! Visit both floors of the museum tomorrow for our Holiday Makers Market from 10am-3pm. 🎁
Be sure to enter the basket raffle for a chance to win several lovely holiday baskets! 🎟
Eat, drink, & be merry! Grab a bite to eat from Elegant Catering Food Truck, then head across the street to the distillery for a Christmas themed cocktail.🍹
Later in the evening, Christmas by Candlelight begins. Christmas history tours, activities in the museum, and live music some evenings! 🕯Tour space is limited, please purchase ahead. Sponsored by Armstrong.
Christmas at West Overton starts this weekend! Festivities kick off with our Holiday Makers Market 10am-3pm on December 3 when you can buy shop from 30 vendors, enjoy lunch, and buy a bottle of whiskey from our very own distillery.
Later that evening, Christmas by Candlelight starts. Christmas history tours, activities in the museum, Christmas cocktails in the distillery, treats in the 1830s Summer Kitchen, and even music some evenings. Sponsored by Armstrong.
Tour space is limited so please buy ahead:
Candlelit Tours of an 1838 Homestead, historical activities, & Christmas cocktails
We're excited to announce that Armstrong is sponsoring Christmas by Candlelight this year! Watch Armstrong's Chip Rowan and our Co-Executive Director Aaron talk about event details and when/where you can buy tickets on Chip's In the Know: https://youtu.be/cUUy_jhrvfI Thank you Armstrong for helping us give visitors a taste (sometimes literally) of a 19th century Christmas!
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/christmas-by-candlelight-tickets-449622201107
Thank you to everyone who came to the Whiskey Smash last night! Even bigger thank you to our staff, volunteers, distillers, and sponsors for making the event possible. If you were lucky enough to get a bottle of bourbon cream from Liberty Pole Spirits last night AND you picked up a bag of coffee aged in one of our barrels at Bad Rabbit Cafe and Roastery, you’re probably having a great morning!
Thank you to another sponsor of the Whiskey Smash, Duraloy Technologies! We appreciate your support!
Thank you to another sponsor of the Whiskey Smash, DeFurio Mongell Insurance. Your support of West Overton makes this fundraiser and future events possible! Only one more week to wait!
Anyone attending The Whiskey Smash on Saturday, November 19th, can book a hotel room at Holiday Inn Express Mt. Pleasant - Scottdale (just 1.2 miles away) for a discounted rate of $109 plus tax! 🏨
Rooms will be first come, first served. You can either reach out to the hotel prior to the event and let them know you will be attending the Whiskey Smash, or after the event by showing the hotel your event tickets 🎟
Thank you to another sponsor of the Whiskey Smash, Quest Coach Your support of West Overton makes this fundraiser and future events possible!
Tuesday was a beautiful day for a bridge delivery! After hours of preparation, it took only about a minute to unload. We've received some questions about it, so we'll address them now.
(Q) Why on earth do you want that bridge? (A) West Overton tells a story of industrialization. Our site represents the beginning of industries like coal and metallurgical coke, and Henry Clay Frick was born here. Built after World War II, this bridge represents the end of those industries in our immediate area. Our story and this bridge are bookends of our coal and coke history.
(Q) What are you going to do with it? (A) Like other objects in the museum collection, this bridge is an artifact. The only difference is it lives outside. If we or a local organization build a trail in the coming years, this bridge could be modified for people to cross instead of train cars. We will hold onto it until it can be reused locally, or it will remain an outdoor artifact.
The Whiskey Smash 2022 is SOLD OUT! If you got tickets, we will see you on Saturday, November 19. Also, check out our upcoming Christmas events Holiday Makers Market and Christmas by Candlelight. Thank you for your support!
If you love whiskey AND coffee, we have news for you! We are so thrilled to announce we’ve partnered with Bad Rabbit Cafe and Roastery in Scottdale to create a barrel aged coffee. They aged their coffee beans in a used barrel from our rye whiskey distillery and have produced an excellent coffee. Get yours at the cafe before it’s gone ☕️
This beautiful autumn in the village is bittersweet. It means exciting events but also closing the museum for the season.
This is the last weekend for normal open hours in the museum. Join us Thrusday-Sunday, 10am-4pm for homestead tours, the museum, and a village walking tour. The distillery tasting room is open 10am-4pm on Saturday.
After Sunday, October 30, the site will close to prepare for three big events.
Join us for the The Whiskey Smash on November 19. Then, our Holiday Makers Market returns on December 3. That evening, then every Saturday and Sunday before Christmas Eve, enjoy plenty of festivities at Christmas by Candlelight.
Thank you to another sponsor of The Whiskey Smash, Mid Penn Bank! Your support of West Overton makes this fundraiser and future events possible. Only about 25 tickets remain for this celebration of PA whiskey. Get yours now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-whiskey-smash-tickets-393233500987
We are officially one month out from the Whiskey Smash so it's a perfect time to thank our Benefactor Sponsor this year, Iron City Distilling. Sponsors make the Whiskey Smash and future events possible.
8 PA distillers in one room. Samples, bottle sales, signature cocktail, bar, music, food, basket raffle, and more.
Fewer than 1/4 of total tickets remain. Get yours now! https://www.westovertonvillage.org/home/the_whiskey_smash/
Huge thank you to these freshmen volunteers from the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg! Students picked up 3 giant bags of litter; thoroughly cleaned the Big Barn, museum, and outbuildings; and gathered fallen branches for the summer kitchen. And thank you to our Board Treasurer, Tiffany, for supplying lunch! We’re always looking for new volunteers if you have time to give!
It’s a beautiful, crisp morning and Fall DIY History is starting soon! The cider press and hot cider are ready, cabbage is waiting to be shred for sauerkraut, and we have plenty of corn stalks to chop into fodder. Happening today, Oct 9, until 5pm.
We’re having a BLAST churning butter at Festival of Combustion 2022 at Rivers of Steel: Carrie Blast Furnaces! Stop and see us if you’re here!
Calling all craft vendors!🚨
Is it a little early to start talking about the holidays? Maybe. Is it a little early to start planning for this year's Holiday Makers Market? Absolutely not! Our popular craft vendor market is back for the first time since 2019. Sign up now to reserve your space. Only 30 spaces available and registration closes on November 12, 2022, so don't wait! https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/Ho6cROxAq0dE00BkG5XfYw
Field trips are booking up for the Fall!
If you are a teacher or homeschool parent looking for exciting and engaging field trips, visit West Overton Museums for:
Engaging, hands-on historical activities
Tours of an original 19th century homestead
A new exhibition about the Industrial Revolution featuring people of West Overton
A climate controlled room that can seat 100+ students for lessons and lunch
Visits to a real distillery to learn states of matter, distilling science, and fermentation as food preservation
For more information, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/ZrEQNieg12gKDLp88 Or contact Aaron at [email protected]
After SIX months of waiting, the grain bin glass is finally here! We’ve opened one of the building’s three grain bins (think indoor silos) for visitors to go inside. Here’s a sneak peek of the installation.
Stand on the glass and look down to the hopper, or look up through four more stories and experience what 300,000lbs of grain storage feels like.
Update! A display case and mount for Jasper will cost about $500. Please let us know if you can help!
Bridge Update! The 50' railroad bridge is finally coming on Tuesday, November 8, around 11:30 am! If you want to come watch, be at the Museum at 11:30 then when it arrives we'll walk over to the delivery site.
https://fb.me/e/2TYhtswHx
We’re saving a railroad bridge!
If you have driven between Mount Pleasant and Norvelt along Route 981, you’ve seen a huge construction project: https://laurelvalleyproject.com/section-1/ Along the way is a post-WWII railroad trestle that was going to be scrapped. It might be small and from the 1950s, but that trestle is one of the last reminders of our area’s rich coal mining heritage. We asked, and thanks to some history-loving folks, West Overton will be the trestle’s new home. For now, the trestle will rest in the village but we hope to use it as part of a walking trail in the coming years.
The trestle will arrive within the next month. When we know the day, we will invite you to come and watch the delivery and unloading of the 50’ railroad bridge.
What better place for this icon of our coal and coke history to live than a site that embodies industrialization and is the birthplace of Henry Clay Frick?
Thank you to another sponsor of The Whiskey Smash, GO Laurel Highlands! Your support of West Overton makes our most popular event possible. If you or your organization are interested in sponsoring The Whiskey Smash, visit our website here: https://bit.ly/3dCqp6H
As we acknowledge the contributions of American workers for , we are thrilled that our new exhibition, Forging Ahead and Falling Behind, does just that. We recently discovered a photo of John Lloyd Shallenberger, a worker featured in the exhibition. Lloyd worked on the West Overton farm in the 1850s and later operated the general store in town. Lloyd is one of 6 community workers who make up the exhibition. Although West Overton Village would not have existed without the Overholt and Frick families, it was laborers like Lloyd who made West Overton a successful community in the mid-19th century.
Our friends at the Scottdale Historical Society are trying to identify the folks in these photos. One of them grew up in West Overton. Can you help?
Did you know today is ? Let's take a moment to appreciate the magnificent beards on these four gentlemen. Any guesses who they are? Hint: yes, the two in the back are twins. Find out more on a tour of the Overholt Homestead, Thurs-Sun, 10am-4pm.
Expanded hours! In case you missed it last month, the Educational Distillery is now also open the first Friday of the month, 4-9pm. Visit the Distillery tonight for cocktails, samples, and bottle sales. This month we are featuring a Sazerac made with Jasper's Stash.
You can also visit the Educational Distillery Saturdays and Sundays from 10am-4pm!
Jasper is home! Huge thank you to Hutch for taking our famous two-headed calf for his (their?) annual check up. If you've visited West Overton, you probably remember our most popular artifact. The calf was born on the farm of Oscar Keener in Fayette County in 1922 and has been in our collection longer than anyone can remember. He now even adorns one of our whiskey labels, "Jasper's Stash."
Now, Jasper needs your help! A display case will greatly increase Jasper's lifespan and will decrease the need for conditioning. If you would like to provide or sponsor a display case for West Overton's "mascot" please let us know.
Help us make sure Jasper survives for future generations of visitors.
Check out the section of our exhibition dedicated to mining when you visit Thursdays through Sundays from 10am - 4pm! Take the opportunity to learn about coal and coke and our mine car restoration. You can also tour the Overholt Homestead during your visit. If you happen to stop in on Saturday or Sunday you can tour the Educational Distillery and even sample our selection of rye whiskeys!
Learn a little about Rebecca Kough when you visit the museum, Thursdays - Sundays from 10am - 4pm throughout the season! Our original ledgers, used in the West Overton General Store in the 19th century, were integral to the creation of our newest exhibition, "Forging Ahead and Falling Behind."
Thank you to our sponsors, Judy & Kevin O'Toole! West Overton appreciates your continued support of our site, history, and programs. If you our your organization would like to get involved in the Whiskey Smash, visit our website here: https://bit.ly/3dCqp6H for more information!
We're open all weekend from 10am-4pm Thursday through Sunday! Stop in for tours of the Overholt Homestead, and the Museum. Saturday and Sunday the Educational Distillery will be open for tours and tastings too!
109 W Overton Road, POBox 3
Scottdale, PA
15683
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Visit the General Store at West Overton! This highly-interactive replica of a 19th century general store is overflowing with information about items bought, sold, and traded in the 1800s. You can also get an up-close and personal look at our authentic West Overton Village ledger! The museum is open 10am-4pm Thursdays through Sundays, and our Educational Distillery is open Saturdays and Sundays from 10am-4pm!
Tickets for The Whiskey Smash are on sale now! You can purchase tickets through this link: https://bit.ly/3zmn9DG and secure them before they're gone! VIP Hour is from 5-6 pm, and General Admission opens at 6 pm. Stay tuned for information on participating distilleries and updates on the event. Check out the events page here: https://fb.me/e/59Si56z1T
Check it out: The three-hour delivery and installation of our restored mine car by Scott and Doug with their team, condensed down to under a minute!
West Overton Weddings & Events
W. Overton RoadBullskin Township Historical Society
Park Road, WooddaleConnellsville Area Historical Society
W Patterson Street, ConnellsvilleYoungwood Historical & Railroad Museum and St
Depot Street, YoungwoodWhitsett Historical Society/Whitsett,PA
2nd Street, WhitsettBaltzer Meyer Historical Society
Baltzer Meyer Pike, GreensburgThe Foster and Muriel McCarl Coverlet Gallery
Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe