MURRYSVILLE
A Great Town In Westmoreland County
by Karen Fetter
Murrysville is one town in Westmoreland County that is
always on the cusp of change. The beautiful suburban area is
located along Route 22 one of the main transportation
arteries in western Pennsylvania. New development along
Route 22 is a big reason that Murrysville remains on the
fast track.
Murrysville is located approximately 20 miles east of
Pittsburgh, PA at the western edge of Westmoreland County
and covers 37 square miles. According to the 2000 Census,
Murrysville had a population of 18,872. The area shares
borders with eight other communities and totally surrounds
the Borough of Export. Murrysville's more densely populated
areas are located near the Route 22 corridor in the southern
portion of the municipality.
Murrysville History
: Municipality :
Community Resources :
Activities & Events
Murrysville is largely a rural, residential community
with single-family dwellings on large lots. The median age
of the Municipality's population is 42.8 years old. The
municipality has the highest per capita income and education
levels in Westmoreland County.
The town is very proud of its attractive neighborhoods,
strong school system, variety of community groups,
responsive government and rural character. We will take a
look at Murrysville history, municipality, parks system,
community groups and events. Lets see why Murrysville is THE
place to be!
History of Murrysville
Franklin Township was the first development in the area
of Murrysville. However, it wasn't listed on the
Westmoreland County records until 1788. Before that, William
Meanor bought a claim of land from an Indian in exchange for
a keg of tobacco and a rifle. And in 1769, Robert Hays
applied to the government for land and purchased 339 acres
for 45 pounds, 2 shillings and 6 pence.
Murrysville itself was founded by Ireland native Jeremiah
Murry. He traveled to Pennsylvania in 1781 and then on to
Franklin Township. He acquired land near Turtle Creek and
built a cabin and gristmill. He also kept a store near the
current location of the Presbyterian Church. Murry
established the town of Murrysville in 1820, no more than a
year after the Northern Turnpike was constructed. He
originally purchased several hundred acres of land, which he
subdivided into streets and lots. Murry then sold the land
to incoming settlers.
The school system in Murrysville holds a lot of history
as well. Murrysville was the first school established in the
area in 1800. Then in 1861, Francis Laird Stewart organized
the Turtle Creek Academy. Classes were first held in Murry's
father's house and then moved to the basement of the
Presbyterian Church. The Murrysville Grade School was built
in 1905 and is now being used to house several businesses.
Newlonsburg Elementary, which was the original high school,
was built in 1929.
The Municipality
Murrysville is a progressive community that has many
unique features. One is the Home Rule form of government
that was adopted by the town and both the school board and
municipal officials are elected at large. Murrysville also
continually upgrades its facilities and services. There is a
modern Administration Building that includes the police and
library. Also, Murrysville's state-of-the-art Public Works
facility is a prototype that surrounding areas attempt to
emulate. The municipality is also unique in that it has a
"tree sign" which uses individual trees to spell
"Murrysville" on a hillside. The sign is maintained by the
local Sportsmen and Landowners Alliance. The "M" in the sign
is lit up at the annual "light-up night" in December.
One of the Murrysville's biggest recent projects involves
improvements along Route 22. PennDOT is widening the road to
four lanes from the Allegheny County line to Route 66 in
Salem Township. There is also a $400,000 beautification
project that will add decorative lighting, landscaping, and
entry signage to the first 3.4 miles. In addition to better
traffic control, the changes are bringing many new
businesses to Murrysville. The second phase of the project
should be completed in 2007.
The town continues to work with the Murrysville Economic
Community Development Corporation in a joint effort to
entice new business ventures into Murrysville. Murrysville
is currently investigating a grant to bring sidewalks,
landscaping, and lighting to a portion of Old William Penn
Highway; phase one would begin at the Barbara Redding Bridge
and end at Gates Avenue. If successful, the town will apply
for future grants to continue the project.
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Community Resources
Murrysville Parks
Murrysville offers a wide variety of public and private park
and recreation facilities - both at the neighborhood and
community levels. The town currently owns about 1,000 acres
of parkland and recently hired a consultant to implement a
newly adopted Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Plan. The
plan had significant input from residents and is intended to
develop the local parks to meet the needs of all ages and
abilities with both active and passive recreation. In
addition to this plan, the Westmoreland Conservancy has
preserved 216 acres in Murrysville as natural areas for
public enjoyment.
Also part of the parks system today is the historic site of
the drilling of the first gas well that took place in 1878.
When gas was reached, a great explosion and fire extended
100 feet into the air. The fire burned for a year and a half
before being controlled.
Murrysville Community Library
Murrysville Community Library is a public library located on
Sardis Road. It provides reference, informational and
recreational reading materials and loan service to the
entire community and to the Franklin Regional School
District. The Murrysville Women's Club founded the library
in 1922. It has grown from an initial collection of 660
books to over 65,000 in 2001. For more information visit the
website at
www.murrysvillelibrary.org or call 724-327-1102.
Murrysville Historical Preservation Society, Inc.
The Murrysville Historical Preservation Society Inc. was
chartered in 1987. Its goal is to identify and protect
significant properties in Murrysville and surrounding areas,
to protect historic buildings, to understand the areas past,
and to collect and preserve photographs and documents of the
area in hopes to foster the knowledge and understanding of
the areas past. The Murrysville Historical Preservation
Society Inc. meets every other month on the third Monday of
the month at 7:30 p.m. at the Senior Center located in the
Community Center on Carson Street, unless otherwise noted.
All meetings are open to the public. For more information
call 724-327-6942 or email at
jstempfer@comcast.net.
Westmoreland Chamber of Commerce
Westmoreland Chamber of Commerce services Murrysville,
Export, Delmont, Plum Borough, Penn Township, Greensburg,
Jeannette, Youngwood, and New Stanton. An office is located
at 3967 William Penn Highway in Murrysville in the same
building as A-1 Mortgage.
The chamber assists local businesses through providing
networking opportunities, educational seminars,
member-to-member discounts and addressing legislative issues
by lobbying on their behalf. The chamber also offers the
community information, maps, etc. on all of the areas within
their jurisdiction. Visit
www.westmorelandchamber.com or e-mail:
info@westmorelandhcamber.com.
Murrysville Women's Club
The Murrysville Women's Club was created in 1920 to bring
the women of the community together to develop their
educational, civic, and social interests, and to advance the
welfare of the community. It has initiated a number of
improvements for Murrysville - most notably promoting the
growth of the Community Library and its facilities. For more
information call LaDorna Stephens, 724-327-8508.
Murrysville/Export Rotary Club
The Murrysville-Export Club was chartered on August 27, 1945
and meets every Wednesday at 6:45 p.m. at the Lamplighter
Restaurant on Route 22. Each year, the Club has major
fund-raisers that have included the Chili Open in February,
Lotto Night in the spring, and the Chicken A-Go-Go in the
Fall. Proceeds benefit local and world needs. The
Murrysville-Export Club has sponsored the community
Halloween Parade since 1962 and has completed many projects
around the community. The most notable project was the
property acquisition for Haymaker Park in 1952. It also
aided in the creation of Communities, Inc. to manage the
park. Visit the Murrysville-Export Rotary website at
www.murrysville-exportrotary.org.
Murrysville Lion's Club
The Murrysville Lions Club supports several community
programs such as sponsoring used eyeglass collections, free
eyesight and hearing tests (Care-A-Van), Teen-age Golf
League, Lion's Project SightFirst - Lions Conquering
Preventable Blindness. In addition, it helps other
organizations such as the Beacon Lodge Camp for the Blind,
Leader Dog Program, and Hershey's Eye Research Units,
Westmoreland's Association for the Blind and Deaf Services,
and the St. Vincent's Drug and Alcohol program.
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Murrysville Activities and
Events
Murrysville has a variety of events for the public to
participate in throughout the year. Below are the four major
events that are sponsored through the municipality. For a
complete community calendar visit
www.murrysville.com.
Annual Egg Hunt
April
Noon
Townsend Park on Twin Oaks Drive
Children ages 2-11 can bring their own basket and collect
eggs, snacks, and prizes. Plus they will also get a visit
from the Easter Bunny!
Major Health Fair
February
Franklin Regional Middle School
Franklin Regional School District and Health and Wellness
Association join together
to discuss and share topics of interest for school age
children through adulthood.
Community Days
August
In the summer, an annual "Community Day" featuring
children's activities, food booths, petting zoos, bands, car
shows, educational activities and an art show is held.
Light Up Night
December
6:00- 8:30 p.m.
Laird Hall at First Presbyterian Church on North Hills Road
A great family event that includes a visit from Santa,
games, crafts, and snacks for children from ages 2 years to
adults.
Seeing is believing with the town of Murrysville. Its
capability to continually be on the cusp of change and
development has made it THE place to be. With new roads, a
good school system, an active community and progressive
leaders, this area is one to visit and possibly to stay!
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Murrysville, Westmoreland County, PA
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Westmoreland