The Village Progress WINTER 2011
WEST OVERTON MUSEUM
VOLUME 83
Happy New Year!
The Secretary’s Notes 2010 has been a busy year at West Overton Museum. To use a baseball announcer’s phrase “put it in the books” with the close of the 2010, the staff at West Overton concluded another year of fun events, noteworthy exhibits, and ongoing renovations of the museum and village. I hope you were able to take part in some or all of the activities. The oft-repeated phrase, “we c o u l d n’ t d o i t without you” has never been truer. Your support in so many waysgenerously giving financially, volunteering and attending events, or offering suggestions- has been the motivating force in the success we have
Preserve Educate Promote
achieved. With that being said, it is with a heavy heart that we say good-bye to our Executive Director Chris Kline. Executive Director Chris Kline announced his resignation to the Board of Directors earlier this fall. His term as Executive Director will finish at the end of the 2010 year. Under Chris’s leadership, West Overton made significant strides to update and modernize the museum and village. From adding new tenants in the village to using social networking sites to promote West Overton, Chris was able to provide fiscal stability in recent years. Please join the Board of Directors in wishing Chris the best of luck with his future endeavors. With the news of Chris Kline’s resignation, the Board of Directors is
working diligently to find a suitable replacement to help oversee and lead West Overton Museum in the future. The goal is to announce a new Executive Director to
West Overton Museum continues to develop programs and events that attract regional interest. the membership in the early winter months to prepare for the upcoming spring season. -John P. Campbell, Board Secretary
The MIssion of West Overton Museum is to illustrate the history of West Overton VIllage, its distillery, coal and coke heritage, and the birthplace of Henry Clay Frick.
The News Desk Happenings around the village Murder Mysteries. This past November Brian Corcoran, President of the Board of Directors, was instrumental in planning, developing, and organizing a Murder Mystery Theater in the Distillery Room. Thirty guests mingled to gather information and examine clues related to a murder. Each guest was given a role to play during the evening. The event was such a success that Brian organized another Murder Mystery Theater activity on December 11th in which another thirty guests were involved. The Murder Mystery Theater is yet another example of how West Overton Museum is creating events to promote this wonderful historic site. Due to the success of both events, Brain said that future murder mysteries at West Overton could be made possible for the 2011 season. Stay tuned! Results from the Department of Labor and Industry. On November 17th, Executive Director Chris Kline and Maynard Brubacher were summoned before the Pennsylvania Department of Labor Industry Board to discuss the historical structures at West Overton
Museum and the need for variances in order to promote and preserve the eighteen buildings in the village. During this meeting, the Industrial Board granted a number of variances to West Overton due to the historic nature of the buildings. However, the Industrial Board also recommended a number of changes that West Overton must follow up with in order to promote visitor, volunteer, and employee safety in the village. For example, tours must be smaller than ten members and only certain parts of the distillery will be open to the general public. The staff is currently working on the Industrial Board requests before the 2011 season. A special thanks goes to Chris Kline and Maynard Brubacher for representing West Overton at the hearing. Moreover, a special thanks goes to Bill Stone, maintenance employee, for all the work around the museum to meet the safety recommendations. Student Volunteers. Students from Central Westmoreland Vocational School, under the guidance of their teacher, Christine Richards, will be doing some renovations to the C.S. Overholt house this spring semester. Work includes removing layers of wallpaper, wall preparation, and painting.
A Call for Volunteers We have many big events scheduled for the upcoming season and we need your help! From the May Mart to the Tomato Festival and Other Worldly Weekends, we need any member who has a passion for local history and a willingness to give their time to a worthy organization. Whether you can give historical tours, work a cash register, or paint, we can use you. No task is too small! Be a part of a winning team. If you are currently volunteering at West Overton Museum or plan to volunteer, call Alisa Barnhart at 724-887-7910 or email info @westovertonvillage,org
Meet the Directors Dianne Pyda joined the board of directors in July of 2009. Dianne brings a passion for the arts and her experience as an educator to the board of directors. Dianne has years of experience and expert planning in the ceramic arts. She shows and sales her pottery and clay sculptures at a number of local shops. Dianne started her career with her education in the visual arts. She is currently an art educator in the Mount Pleasant Area School District. Dianne was honored in 2008 as the Greensburg Area Cultural Council’s Art Educator of the Year. Dianne resides in Norvelt, PA with her husband, Joe, and her two sons, AJ, and Patrick.
2010 Volunteers
A Helping HandBarry Pritchard
Small institutions, such as West Overton Museum, are dependent on the many selfless volunteers who help around the museum all year long. Without the help of our volunteers, items such as routine maintenance and hosting events could not happen. The employees at West Overton Museum would like to thank the following members for the countless number of hours they logged at the museum this past year. 2010 Volunteers
Lois Eberly Tabitha Reeger Steven Morrison Sandy Kellerman Raina Kellerman Shirley Redinger Judy Weisel Carol Scott Linda Trayer Michael(Calum) & Michele(Trin) Thomas Jeanne Hoburn Lola Ayres Helen Williams Andrew Rees Lee & Sue Kline Sue Orsino Nancy Wallace Joy Trainer Sharon Yoder Carol Pavick Roberto Giacopetti Michela Napoli Kelly Miller Susan Kite Sara Morris and the ladies of the West Overton Garden Society: Pat Hicks Jan Brubacher Becky Sprinkle Jan Sprinkle Barb Zema Gloria Miller Phebe Cressman
Barry Pritchard, from The Salient Angle in Masonry, in December preparing to fix the stone retaining wall next to the homestead.
Volunteers are the life blood of West Overton Museum. It is no exaggeration to affirm that volunteers are one of the most valuable assets of West Overton Museum. Barry Pritchard is yet another example of a volunteer who saw a need and stepped in to help the museum. Barry Pritchard is the owner of The Salient Angle in Masonry. He has extensive knowledge of working with historical stone and brickwork. Barry worked over thirty years as a mason in New York City prior to moving back to the area. In 2009 he constructed a coke oven using old HC Frick blueprints for the Dunbar Historical Society.
The rain soaked spring of 2010 caused part of the old stone retaining wall to buckle and collapse. Board Member Maynard Brubacher spent part of the summer trying to find a company or organization to fix the wall. In a stroke of luck, Barry, who lives in Scottdale, stopped by the museum to speak to Executive Director Chris Kline about the damaged wall. Barry decided to volunteer his labor and knowledge to help the museum. The Board of Directors would like to publicly thank Barry for his work on the wall and recommend him to our members for any stone, brick, or tile needs. Barry has experience in building foundations, land sc aping, and water features. You can contact Barry at 724.420.6652.
2011 Winter Events January- April The museum is closed except for special events or pre-arranged tours. The office is open daily Tuesday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 p.m.
Event Highlight: Christmas at the Homestead
Parlor Talk Lecture Series Parlor talks are presented on a variety of topics. These programs are free to the public and include light refreshments. All talks begin at 2:30 p.m. and are held in the Distillery Room. Mark these dates on your calendar. Presenters will be announced at a later date. Sunday, March 20th Sunday, April 17th May Mart- Saturday, May 7, 2011 May Mart is the annual plant sale hosted by the West Overton Garden Society. Plants include a variety of perennial and annual flowers and vegetables.
Opening Day- Saturday, May 14th The seasonal start of tours for the homestead, museum, and grounds.
Check our webpage and facebook page for any changes in the events calendar.
The staff at West Overton Museum decorated the homestead in a simple, yet elegant fashion representative of the 19th century.
West Overton gives visitors a classic 19th century Christmas. Visitors to West Overton Museum during the month of December were taken back in time to a simpler Christmas celebration. Over one hundred visitors braved the cold and snow to see the homestead decorated in its 19th century grandeur. The staff at West Overton Museum decorated the homestead in a fashion that would have been representative of the M e n n o n i t e community in the 1800s. In this simple elegance, only natural items, such as fruit, plants. and paper items, were used to decorate. In addition to the historical Christmas decor, some of the rooms
were decorated in vintage toys from years past. The vintage toys were a new feature in the annual Christmas event. Vintage toys on display included porcelain dolls, train sets, cooking toys, tea sets, sporting goods, and a number of hand-made toys. Executive Director Chris Kline wanted an additional exhibit that would appeal to a wider audience. The staff and volunteers would like to thank all those came out to this event. We believe that this Christmas event is unique among the many home tours in the region.
2011 Membership Drive At West Overton Museum, we need your help! Without members like you, we would not be able to provide the quality events and activities that you have come to expect from West Overton Museum. In these economic times, now more than ever, West Overton Museum needs your continued support of this regional and historical gem in American history. Last year West Overton members participating in the membership drive brought in over thirty new members and several new business members. That was a great addition! Your continued support shows that you value local history and its preservation for future generations. In the coming months, the staff and board members will begin developing a spring membership drive to help benefit our museum. We strongly encourage each member to begin talking with friends and family members that would enjoy being a part of a great historical organization. Membership benefits include: Free museum admission 10% discount at Uncle Martin’s Company Store Quarterly updates with The Village Progress Advance information to events A year subscription to TABLE Magazine (for Family membership levels or higher)
Business Spotlight at West Overton Village
PA Specialty Foods West Overton Museum is proud to have PA Specialty Foods as part of the village shop. PA Specialty Foods specializes in Amish foods and has a wide selection of jams, jellies, and canned vegetables. Moreover, the deli has some of the best meats and cheeses in town! Whether its Lebanon bologna, thick sliced bacon, or Lacy Swiss cheese, you can find unique products that you can’t find in the big box stores. The store is open from 10:00 am- 7 :00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. 11:00 am to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. Check out PA Specialty Foods on the web at www.paspecialtyfoods.com . Looking for a new place for lunch? PA Specialty Foods has great lunch specials. A lot of food for a little price!
Uncle Martin’s Company Store The gift shop at West Overton continues to be a popular place for visitors again this year. Since its inception as a stand alone village store last year, the general public has made it a destination to find unique gifts. The gift shop offers an expanded selection of books in addition to specialty teas, educational puzzles, and handcrafted Thompson Candles from Huntington, PA. If you have not had the opportunity to stop by and check out the great selections available at Uncle Martin’s Company Store, we invite you to do so. During the winter months, see the staff in the museum office to open the store or call ahead at 724.887.7910. If braving the winter elements is not your thing, check out Uncle Martin’s Company Store on the web at http://shop.westovertonvillage.org . Uncle Martin’s Company Store is the place to find that one-of-kind item or special gift.
Individual Memberships start as low as $15!
New Members Over the last few months we have had the privilege of adding several new members to the membership roster. Sarah Campbell, Mt. Pleasant, PA Lois Eberly, Scottdale, PA Dayna Hrovath, Scottdale, PA Rex Humerickhouse, Glen Carbon, IL Robert Hyde, Medina, OH Marsha Maietta, Pittsburgh, PA
MaryEllenNist, Scottdale, PA Bernetha Pritts, Ligonier, PA Judy Snyder, Ruffsdale, PA BUSINESS MEMBERSHIP McDonald, Snyder, Lightcap PC David Snyder
Business Members Supporting our Heritage is good business. Please support those who support us at West Overton Museum.
Patron Level Donna Overholt Mosites Sally Bernhardt Carson’s Premier Catering
L ORE M E N IM R E A L
E S T A T E
West Overton Museum 109 West Overton Rd. Scottdale, PA 15683-1168
Business Level Alexander’s Pizza and Subs Associates of Rehabilitation, Inc Brubacher Enterprises Carson’s Premier Catering Collections By Marty David Snyder Dr. Mark WIlliams, DO Duraloy Technologies Laurel Business Institute McDonald, Snyder, Lightcap PC Miss Martha’s Tea Room Mt. Pleasant Auto Sales PA Specialty Foods R.E. Uptegraff Manufacturing Sandzimier Memorials Inc. Suzie’s Frozen Custard Smouse Trucks & Vans Vintage Costumes, LLC
OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS
President Vice President Treasurer Secretary
Brian Corcoran Marty Savanick Maynard Brubacher John Campbell
Scott Avolio Julie Giacopetti Dianne Pyda Frank Schiefer WEST OVERTON STAFF
Admin. Assistant Alisa Barnhart Archivist Melissa Strobel Maintenance Bill Stone
Non Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Scottdale, PA PERMIT No. 15
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
Check us out on the web: www.westovertonvillage.org