Chestnut Ridge Park
Contact Information:
Westmoreland County Parks and Recreation
Phone: 724.830.3950 or
1.800.442.6926
Donohoe Road
R.D. #12, Box 203
Greensburg, PA 15601
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Directions
Follow Route 31
East of Mount Pleasant. Immediately past
the Acme Community Center, turn right
onto Acme Dam Road. The park entrance is
½ mile ahead on the left.
Overview
Chestnut Ridge
Park surrounds a 25 acre lake. A boat
launch is located adjacent to the
parking lot. Fishing and hunting
activities are available at the park.
The lake is known to expand during flood
periods. Chestnut Ridge Park is a
beautiful, secluded location, and the
surrounding woodlands often display a
rich attire of colored leaves in the
fall.
Facilities
No rest room
facilities are available.
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Sewickley Creek Wetlands
Directions
From New Stanton,
take Toll Road 66 (The Amos K.
Hutchinson Bypass) north to the Arona
Road exit. At the end of the exit ramp,
turn left onto North-East Drive. The
parking area for the Sewickley Creek
Wetlands Interpretive Area is ahead on
the left. When approaching from the
North, take the Arona Road exit off of
Toll Road 66, then turn left onto Shader
Hollow Road, then left again onto
North-East Drive. The park is ahead on
the left.
Overview
Sewickley Creek
Wetlands Interpretive Area is a man-made
wetland covering 21 acres. It was
constructed by the Pennsylvania Turnpike
Commission in order to replace wetlands
affected by the construction of the Amos
K Hutchinson Bypass. Numerous songbirds
and other wildlife can be found in this
tiny habitat, which serves as a relaxing
and peaceful spot to have a picnic and
observe nature. Wildflower patches are
especially beautiful in late spring and
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Disturbance of the
wetland is strictly prohibited. There is to
be no hunting, fishing, trapping, wading, or
other disruption to the plants and animals
in this fragile habitat. No vehicle or
bicycle is permitted beyond the parking
area, although there are trails which allow
visitors to walk through the wetlands and
approach the water. The observation deck is
handicapped accessible, and there are picnic
tables and benches available near the
parking area.
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Wetlands like the
Sewickley Creek Wetlands Interpretive
Area prove their worth in filtering
pollutants from water and helping to
control soil erosion. Wetlands aid in
controlling storm water runoff and help
to reduce flooding. They are the home to
many endangered plants and animals,
which depend on their wetland
environments to survive.
A wetland is defined as a lowland area,
such as a marsh or swamp that is
saturated with moisture, especially when
used as a natural habitat for wildlife.
Facilities
No pets are
allowed in the park. No rest room
facilities are available. |
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Historic
Hanna's Town
Directions
From Greensburg, proceed 3 miles
north on Route 119. Turn left at the
sign for Hannas Town. The mid-eighteenth
century buildings of Hannas Town appear
shortly on your left.
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Overview
Westmoreland County’s history goes
back before the American Revolution.
Governor Richard Penn approved the Act
of Assembly that formed Westmoreland
County on February 26th, 1773. At that
time, prominent landowners found
themselves competing for the honor of
establishing the county seat. Robert
Hanna, originally from York County, had
served as a Justice in Bedford County
and then Westmoreland. As a landowner,
Hanna laid out lots on a parcel of land
where he had hopes of developing a town.
It was Hanna’s Town that eventually won
the privilege of becoming the County
Seat.
Hanna’s Town’s rise to prominence
ended dramatically in 1782 when a
raiding party of Seneca Indians, aided
by British Rangers, burned the town, a
disaster which ultimately led to the
relocation of the County Seat to
Greensburg.
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Archaeological investigations at
Hanna's Town began in earnest in 1969.
More than one million artifacts have
been recovered and excavations have
revealed 12 acres of homes, a stockade,
and the fort which saved the lives of
the residents during the Seneca raid. In
its heyday, Hanna’s Town could boast
some 30 log houses, a courthouse, a fort
replete with stockade and blockhouse, a
jail, and two taverns. Historic Hanna’s
Town remains an ongoing archeological
dig, a site registered with the National
Register of Historic Places.
When visiting Hanna’s Town, you will be
greeted by a hostess or guide dressed in
colonial era costume and knowledgeable
concerning the history and archeology of
the site. The reconstructed village
consists of Robert Hanna’s
Tavern/Courthouse and Jail, three 18th
century log houses, a Revolutionary era
fort, and a wagon shed housing an
authentic Conestoga wagon. A gift shop
is available.
Planned tours last about 45 minutes
and include a look inside the tavern,
with instruction on the common room and
its uses, the type of court and cases
heard, as well common punishments. Other
rooms visited include the pantry, bar,
Robert and Elizabeth Hanna’s bedroom,
and the jack bed room. Please do not
touch any of the items or furniture on
display. Outside you will visit an herb
garden and see an original Conestoga
wagon once used by a Westmoreland County
family. Other buildings include the
Klingensmith House and the Fort.
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The Conestoga wagon is itself a
fascinating historical artifact. These
massive, four wheeled wagons, drawn by
four to six horses could be thought of
as the freight trucks of their day. A
six horse team might pull up to six tons
of goods, cargo, or perhaps ore headed
for an iron furnace. It is believed the
Conestoga wagon had its origins in
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for use along
the pike connecting the town of
Lancaster with Philadelphia. In the
1800s, the wagon trains of western
expansion would be patterned, with some
changes, after this famous Pennsylvania
product. One fascinating fact is that
the driver of a Conestoga wagon did not
ride inside the wagon but either walked
beside his team or sat on a board
projecting from the side of the wagon in
front of the left rear wheel, a good
position from which to operate the
brake. A good team of stout “Conestoga”
horses, weighing in at some 1800 lbs
each, might pull a heavy wagon load some
12 to 14 miles in a day.
In all, Hanna’s Town is not only
important to local history, but also has
national significance as the first
County Seat west of the Appalachian
Mountains.
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More information
on Historic Hannna’s Town, including
interactive programs designed to give
students insight into daily life at a
frontier settlement, please visit the
web site of the
Westmoreland County Historical Society.
The Westmoreland County Historical
Society and Westmoreland County Parks
and Recreation work in partnership to
administer Historic Hanna’s Town.
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