We preserve and promote the history of the community of Scottdale, Pa. through community events and maintaining the Loucks Homestead Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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This group is the first step in preserving what was once one of the richest towns in America. Each distinctive building is woven into the history of Scottdale, Pennsylvania, an industrial town founded in 1874. Prior to 1874 Scottdale was named Fountain Mills.
Mission: The Scottdale Historical Society, Inc., incorporated in July 1987 and was reorganized in 2005. Its mission is to collect, preserve and archive the Scottdale area's rich cultural, industrial and architectural history for the enjoyment and education of present and future generations. Scottdale is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This listing is the first step in preserving our town, once one of the richest towns in America. The founding board initiated the Coal and Coke Heritage Festival and purchased the Peter Loucks Homestead with the proceeds of that festival. It also bought the ground and built the gazebo in downtown Scottdale. We will work with the local government and will help formulate preservation ordinances and raise awareness of the many historically significant properties. We will pursue the preservation of as many of the community's historic artifacts, stories and properties as possible. We will work with area organizations to promote our beautiful town, with its tree-lined streets and walkable neighborhoods. Annual membership levels are $25 for individuals; $50 for families and $100 for businesses. Donations of any amount are always accepted.
Operating as usual
You still have until Sunday to purchase and watch our virtual Holiday Traditions Tour. If you miss out you'll have to wait until December to take part in the 2021 tour!
https://www.scottdalehistoricalsociety.com/
Scottdale Historical Society, Scottdale, Loucks Homestead, lodging, rental in Pennsylvania
We hope everyone had a safe and Merry Christmas. There is still time to purchase our Holiday Traditions virtual tour if you are looking for things to do with family over the holiday break. https://www.scottdalehistoricalsociety.com/
The 2021 Scottdale Historical Society Calendar has been distributed to businesses in town as well as the Scottdale Public Library. The theme of this calendar shows "Then and Now" images around town.
These calendars are free thanks to donations from businesses and individuals.
Our virtual Holiday Traditions Tour is now available for purchase through our website!
Since we were unable to hold our traditional Christmas House Tour (our biggest fundraiser of the year), we have been working hard at putting together a virtual Holiday Traditions Tour.
This 1-hour and 20-minute tour will take you to 12 homes in and around Scottdale. Access to the video starts at $15 and more information is available on our website.
https://www.scottdalehistoricalsociety.com/
Scottdale Historical Society, Scottdale, Loucks Homestead, lodging, rental in Pennsylvania
We hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving yesterday!
The Scottdale Historical Society has been working behind the scenes over the last few weeks (and will be for several more days) on a virtual Holiday Traditions Tour in place of our Christmas House Tour that was scheduled for December 5. While it is disappointing that we cannot hold the in person tour this year, we wanted to bring you all some form of our tour that has been taking place since the early 2000's.
The virtual Holiday Traditions Tour will feature nearly 10 stops with interviews showcasing extensive Christmas tree displays with vintage ornaments, an elaborate model train display, a local Christmas light show, unique collections based on television shows, animals, nativity scenes and more.
Tickets for the virtual Holiday Traditions Tour will go on sale around December 4. We will provide you with access to a private link with our Holiday Traditions Tour video that will be made available to view from around December 14 through the first week of the year. Tickets will start at $15. All we ask if that you take into consideration of making an additional donation to the Historical Society if you plan to view the video with your family or friends. There will be a limit as to how many times you can view the video, but we’ll be sure to include all of those finer details on our website listing and on our ticketing site soon.
Last year in December, you may have picked up a Scottdale 2020 calendar at the Christmas House Tour, a local business or at the Winter Light Up Celebration. We are currently producing a 2021 calendar showing then and now images around town. These calendars are FREE and will be available at businesses around town and at the Scottdale Library. Look for them in a few weeks and we’ll be sure to let you know when they are available.
That’s all for now. Stay tuned to our page or our website, scottdalehistoricalsociety.com for updates on the Holiday Traditions Tour and 2021 Calendar launch.
Just a friendly reminder that tonight's Shadows of Scottdale walking tours are SOLD OUT. A limited number of tickets do remain for next weekend's 8 p.m. tour only.
We also ask our ticket holders to please arrive at least 15-30 minutes before your tour at Scratch Living Roastery & Cafe to get checked in. BEFORE you enter the shop, please make sure that you are properly wearing your face mask (covering your nose and mouth), and we will happily check you in and give you your complimentary voucher for a small drip coffee, apple cider or hot chocolate.
We appreciate your cooperation and look forward to another beautiful fall evening walking through town!
Don't miss your chance to get your tickets to Shadows of Scottdale for 2020! Our tours for this Saturday, October 17 are completely SOLD OUT!
Looking ahead to Saturday, October. 24, we do have tickets remaining for our 8 p.m. tour, but anticipate those tickets selling out soon!
https://www.scottdalehistoricalsociety.com/events-projects/upcoming-events/shadows-of-scottdale/
The Scottdale Historical Society is hosting scary walking tours of downtown Scottdale. Called “Shadows of Scottdale”, these tours are not ghost stories, but real, horrific events that happened in town.
If you haven't purchased ticket yet for a tour, now is the time. All times have been opened up, but limited tickets do remain for each tour. Get them now before they are gone! Advance purchase is required through our website. https://www.scottdalehistoricalsociety.com/events-projects/upcoming-events/shadows-of-scottdale/
If you are unsure about how we go about selecting stories, hours of research goes into these tours. We use newspapers, census records, genealogical information, and more sources to build the stories. Here is one such newspaper article we used from Feb 1890 and one of the stories from last year's tour.
The Man who Butchered Himself
Hubert Rosegen was a Prussian immigrant who moved to Scottdale from Beaver Falls in 1890. Back at Beaver Falls, he left his wife and two children, and he moved to Scottdale ahead of his family with plans for them to follow. Arriving in early February, he secured a job at one of the foundries in town and was living in a boarding house on Market Street.
Mr. Rosegen’s story so far is not unusual. But what is a little unusual, is how the newspapers described him. They said that he was an educated man but was demented. We don't know exactly what that means, but we do know that Mr. Rosegen was sick.
One evening, Mr. Rosegen approached another man living in his boarding house and asked him to borrow a razor blade. He said he needed to shave. An hour or two went by and the other gentleman had not heard from Mr. Rosegen. So he went looking for him in hopes of getting his razor back. But this gentleman got a little more than he bargained for.
When he arrived at Mr. Rosegen’s room, he made a horrific discovery. Mr. Rosegen had taken that razor blade and instead of shaving, had “butchered himself.” he took the blade and cut up one arm and down the other. He cut up one leg and down the other. He had “cut himself in pieces” and slit his own throat. News of the tragedy broke on Valentine's Day, 1890.
Of course Mrs. Rosegen was notified of the untimely passing of her husband, and we can be sure she never made the move to Scottdale.
For more macabre history of Scottdale, join us for Shadows of Scottdale.
Thank you to the group of volunteers from the The Scottdale Bank & Trust Co who came out to the historic Loucks Homestead today for the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania #WeekofCaring.
We had a busy day doing some fall cleanup around the property, from fixing the washed out driveway, giving the large front porch a good deep cleaning and other maintenance tasks around the property.
We are truly thankful for your support of the Scottdale Historical Society today and look forward to a continued partnership.
Have you purchased your tickets to Shadows of Scottdale yet? Join us this weekend to hear nine historically accurate tragic tales during this one-hour long tour. Tickets are available through our website and must be purchased in advance. https://www.scottdalehistoricalsociety.com/events-projects/upcoming-events/shadows-of-scottdale/
Our first weekend of Shadows of Scottdale tours start tomorrow night. There are a few tickets remaining for the 7:30 and 8 p.m. tours. It's looking like the weather is making for a great fall evening to go on a walk through town.
Remember that tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be sold in person at the tour.
https://www.scottdalehistoricalsociety.com/events-projects/upcoming-events/shadows-of-scottdale/
The Scottdale Historical Society is extending the deadline for Southmoreland Seniors to apply for the Jane A. Yuhouse Memorial Scholarship.The new deadline to apply is Monday, May 4, 2020 and students should email their completed applications to the Southmoreland Guidance Office.
Information and application for the $1,000 scholarship can be found on our website.
The Jane A. Yuhouse Memorial Scholarship is offering up to a $1,000 scholarship to a graduating Southmoreland High School Senior(s) who shares similar interests and values as Jane.
Happy St. Patrick's Day! "May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow. And may trouble avoid you wherever you go." - Irish Blessing
The Let's Talk Scottdale event on Thursday, March 26 has been postponed. Please continue to follow us here or on our website for updates.
The next meeting of the Scottdale Historical Society will be held on Tuesday, March 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Historic Loucks Homestead. If you would like to get involved with our organization and with community activities, send us a message and we hope to see you there!
Tomorrow is the Scottdale Police & FIreman Craft Show at the Fountain Mills Event Center. Show your support and plan to attend! https://www.facebook.com/events/fountain-mills-event-center/scottdale-police-firemen-craftvendor-show-fundraiser/1146649125516973/
The 1949 photo shows the Fire Department and Borough Building that was located on Everson and Graft Street. The flags, bunting, and 75th Anniversary banners were proudly displayed all over Scottdale. The men standing on the far right are in front of the arched top fire station doors that faced Everson Ave. and the 1920's LaFrance fire truck was parked on the Graft Street side of the building.
The mall project of 1969-1970 razed many of the buildings in this area and that intersection no longer remains. To understand that location today, stand between the Gazebo and the Library looking towards Broadway. Graft street was in that area and Everson was located in the spot where the Rite Aid building is now located. The concrete platform to the left of the Rite Aid building is where the Borough Office scales were located, used to weigh the borough's trucks.
Attention graduating Southmoreland Seniors! You have 50 days remaining to submit your applications to the Guidance Office for the Jane A. Yuhouse Memorial Scholarship. Applicants who meet the requirements can receive up to a $1,000 scholarship. For more information or to download the application, please visit our website. https://www.scottdalehistoricalsociety.com/about-us-1/scholarships/jane-a-yuhouse-memorial-scholarship/
The Jane A. Yuhouse Memorial Scholarship is offering up to a $1,000 scholarship to a graduating Southmoreland High School Senior(s) who shares similar interests and values as Jane.
This circa 1965 photo shows the north side of Pittsburgh Street. Looking left to right you see Ray's Barber Shop followed by the Bixler Agency, where you could conduct your insurance needs. Followed by Brown's Record Center, a very popular business known by everyone in town; the place to purchase your record of your favorite recording artist. The three story building was the original Hill House once a hotel and many other businesses/office on the upper floors. The area is now the Gazebo park area and home of the Scottdale Bank and Trust.
The Historical Society is looking for photos and home movies of town. We are in need of video/recordings of the downtown area, from the 1940's through present day. Please share your archives by submitting information
to the Scottdale Historical Society, P.O. Box 400, Scottdale, PA 15683 or emailing us at [email protected]
This picture is a "BIG DEAL" in many ways. Shown are three unidentified mill workers dressed up in their Sunday best standing inside a massive pipe at the U.S. Cast Iron Pipe and Foundry.
The U.S. Cast Iron Pipe and Foundry was founded by the Loucks and Overholt families in 1885 and grew to be Scottdale's largest industry employing nearly 1500 workers. The Pipe Mill manufactured the world's largest seamless pipe. The pipe from this facility were shipped all over the country used to supply gas and water to major cities.
A few weeks ago we shared a photo of the 1921 Scottdale Football team. Ms. Holly Stoner Barclay was going through old family albums and came across these three photos. The photo from 1933-34 shows her grandfather John D. Skemp, bottom row fifth from the left. If anyone can identify any of the other athletes or has additional information, please share it with us.
Barbara Elaine Smith, was born on August 24, 1949, in Everson, Pennsylvania.
Her mother, Florence, was a maid and her father, William, a steelworker.
She was raised in the Scottdale area, and attended Southmoreland High School; graduating in 1967.
Smith, professionally known as B. Smith, was a trailblazer for African Americans. Through her success as a fashion model, restaurateur, author, businesswoman and television host for her show "B Smith with Style". She appeared on five covers of Essence magazine and was the first African American model to grace the cover of Mademoiselle. In 2001 she launched her line of merchandise and in 2009 was honored by Black Entertainment Television.
Barbara also remembered her high school, by forming Southmoreland's first Home Economics Club. Mrs. Leafy Jane Curley was the Home Economics instructor at the time, and would beam with pride when Smith's name was mentioned. Many of the school's students had Vogue patterns
of dresses that Smith had modeled. B also donated many of her cookbooks to the school.
In 2014 Smith revealed an Alzheimer's diagnosis, she opened up about living with the disease in a 2016 book, "Before I Forget: Love, Hope, Help, And Acceptance in Our Fight Against Alzheimer's."
Smith's husband confirmed that she passed away Saturday, February 22, 2020 at home. He stated, Heaven is shining even brighter now that it is graced with B.'s dazzling and unforgettable smile."
The Scottdale Historical Society extends our deepest sympathies to B Smith's family and friends. We are proud to list her life's achievements, and to say she is one of our hometown friends.
(Photo courtesy of the Rosen Group)
We recently received this photo from Ms. Becky Saunders Johnson showing Mrs. Grimm's fourth grade class from North Grade School in 1954-55. Share your stories with us below and other school photos at [email protected]
The Scottdale Historical Society recently received a collection of recordings of World War II Veterans from Mr. Robert Percy. We are currently digitizing these files so we can share them with everyone.
Mr. Percy produced these recordings over the years as a dedication to our Veterans of World War II and also compiled these interviews into the book "Profiles of Service and Sacrifice".
Our first interview of Mr. Sam Bair is now available on our website and we will continue to add more of Mr. Percy's interviews over the course of the year. This interview took place on February 21, 1974.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-I_aZYvLjd4
We will also place these interviews on our website https://www.scottdalehistoricalsociety.com/people-places-things/people/wwii-veteran-interviews/
This recording was conducted by Mr. Bob Percy, a history teacher at Southmoreland High School, with Mr. Sam Bair on February 21, 1974. This interview focuses...
St. John's Church & School Then and Now.
The circa 1955 photo shows the St. John's Church and School located on south Broadway. The Church was razed to build the new school in the early 1960's.
The original school located where the parking area is today was a two story structure. As the school grew the third floor was added to accommodate the High School students.
Oh the memories of roller skating at Steiner’s! The corner game, the fast skate, the Congo and of course the ALL skate. Owners Bill and Genieve “Gen” Steiner were Scottdale’s biggest baby sitter having over 300 children pass through their doors in a weekend. The Steiner’s would plan special events for Halloween, Christmas, and of course Valentine’s Day.
These photos from 1963 show the Valentine Queen Lyana Bricker and her court Debbie Sarver and Debbie Horvath. The skating rink’s Kings of Hearts: Andy Kozar, _____ Zimmerman, Ron Clark, and Charles Stoner.
A special thanks to Mrs. Gen Steiner for sharing her families photos with us.
527 N Chestnut St
Scottdale, PA
15683
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The Scottdale Historical Society received this wonderful music box from the family of Mrs. Nancy McDowell Clark. William J. McDowell attended medical school in Germany and bought this music box and stand in Switzerland as a thank you gift to his parents, who lived on a sheep farm in Washington County, PA in the 1880's. The music box was later moved to their home in Scottdale where Mr. McDowell opened a medical practice. Mrs. Clark's niece, Bonnie McDowell, placed the music box on permanent loan to the Historical Society so that it may stay in Scottdale where the family lived for generations.
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