SCOTTDALE
A Great Town In Westmoreland County
by Karen Fetter
With the high cost of gas, traveling this summer will
become more and more of a challenge. However, Westmoreland
County residents have a few wonderful choices for relaxation
in their own backyard. One great choice for the summer
season is Scottdale. Its convenient location, charm, and
history make it a perfect spot for a road trip or weekend
getaway. Make this summer a Scottdale Summer!
Scottdale History : Attractions
: Location :
Resources : Activities & Events
Scottdale gives meaning to the words small town charm.
Only 1.2 square miles in area, Scottdale has a population of
fewer than 5,000. It is very rare that you can find a
picture-perfect town that still thrives with dining and
shopping, but that is not all Scottdale has to offer. The
tree-lined streets and brick-covered roads are filled with
Victorian mansions and other marvelous displays of 19th and
early 20th Century architecture. Not to mention the six
family friendly parks located throughout town.
Walking through Scottdale will take you back to a more
peaceful time, and just possibly encourage a call to your
real estate agent! And in Scottdale the crime rate is well
below half the national average.
If you are thinking about making this summer a Scottdale
Summer you would have everything at your fingertips fine
dining, lodging, shopping, exercise, and historical
surroundings! But most of all you would be able to
participate in two exceptional activities offered in
Scottdale in the summer the self-guided Walking House Tour
and the Lunch in the Park program.
Self-Guided House Tour through Scottdale Historic
District
Scottdale's self-guided Walking Tour takes you through
the historic district where you will encounter 29 homes in
styles of various periods such as the Second Empire
(1860-1890), Queen Anne (1880-1910), Colonial Revival
(1880-1920), Neo-Classical (1910-1940), and Arts and Crafts
(1900-1925). This peaceful and informative walk reveals some
of the best residential architecture of the Nineteenth and
early Twentieth Centuries.
The walk is one mile and takes approximately one hour to
complete. Pick a morning, afternoon or evening and walk the
tree-lined streets for a day you will never forget. All
homes are private and are not open to the public. For more
information contact the Scottdale Area Chamber of Commerce.
You can visit their new website at
www.scottdale.com
Lunch in the Park
Being able to enjoy a lunch outside in a park is a privilege
that not everyone can experience. However, Scottdale makes
it a reality with its Lunch in the Park program from May
until August. On the second Tuesday of each month at 11:30
a.m., local church members and businesses prepare homemade
food for the crowd. The event takes place at the Gazebo. The
Scottdale Area Chamber of Commerce sponsors the event and
door prizes and entertainment are available. Anyone
interested in participating as a vendor or sponsor can
contact Mayor Patricia Walker at 724-887-8220. This is just
one more reason to make it a Scottdale Summer.
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History of Scottdale
Prior to becoming the borough of Scottdale, this
picturesque area was named Fountain Mills. The name was not
changed until 1874, when the town was renamed in honor of
Colonel Thomas A. Scott, who was assistant secretary of war
during the Civil War. Colonel Scott was later president of
the Pennsylvania Railroad when it opened its Scottdale
branch in the spring of 1873. The borough was incorporated
on February 5, 1874.
The railroad and the coal and coke industry played a major
role in Scottdales development, and due to their success
Scottdale was once one of the wealthiest towns in the
county. This combination of industries and Scottdales
location to Pittsburgh and hundreds of other mining
companies made the town thrive. At one time there were
30,000 coke ovens in the area that used the railroad to ship
products to various industrial markets throughout the
country.
Today this exceptional town has a beautiful atmosphere
that would make any visitor feel welcomed and at home. There
are shops, history, tree-lined streets, and beautiful
Victorian architecture.
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Linden Hall
Linden Hall is
listed on the National Register of Historic Sites. It is an
elegant English Tudor Mansion that was the creation of Mrs.
Sarah B. Cochran. It was restored to its original beauty and
elegance and the Mansion opened for the first visitors in
June 1977. There are 35 rooms, 27 fireplaces, 13 bath and
powder rooms, a finished white tiled basement with a game
room complete with billiard tables and bowling alleys. The
Mansion has 8, 720 sq. ft. to each of its four floors and is
188 ft. long by 40 ft. wide.
Miss Martha's Tea Room
Miss Marthas
Tea Room & Gifts features a daily luncheon menu of
soups, salads, sandwiches, and special desserts. For
refreshments there is hot tea, coffee, cappuccino, mocha
latte, chai, and delicious smoothies. There is a Victorian
garden mural and a 1910 baby grand piano to view while you
enjoy your meal in elegant Victorian styling. Seven dining
rooms are being restored on the second floor that will make
it perfect for Bridge clubs, Christmas parties, and small,
elegant get-togethers. Etiquette classes for young girls and
other informational and entertainment events are being
planned.
Stuffins Bearmill
Bring your children, family, and friends to Stuffins
Bearmill for more than 45 types of stuffed animals and dolls
that they can make themselves. All of our stuffed creations
include a pre-recorded sound chip with a special message, a
make a wish star, a guardian angel, and a heart. All bears,
animals, and dolls receive their own birth certificate and
come with a box or cradle to be carried home in.
Ohiopyle State Park
Ohiopyle State Parks focal point is the more than 14
miles of the Youghiogheny River Gorge that passes through
the heart of the park. The Yough provides some of the best
whitewater boating in the Eastern U. S. as well as
spectacular scenery. The famous Lower Yough begins after the
Ohiopyle Falls and flows seven miles downstream to the
Bruner Run Take-out. This is the busiest section of
whitewater east of the Mississippi River.
West Overton Museum
West Overton Museum
gives a complete explanation of the coal and coke process. A
replica of a coke oven is on display in the museum yard. All
of the exhibits are a part of the regular museum tour. West
Overton Village was named to the National Register of
Historic Districts in 1985 as an outstanding example of a
19th century rural industrial village.
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Making your summer a Scottdale Summer is easy because the
towns strategic location. Situated between Morgantown, W.V.
and Pittsburgh, Scottdale is close to the Pennsylvania
Turnpikes New Stanton exit at Interstate 70.
Scottdale is also linked to Routes 31, 51, 40, 119 and toll
roads 66 and 43. However, despite this prime location,
Scottdale manages to remain a hidden treasure by not being
directly off any major route. As a result, visitors have to
make it a point to stop by and enjoy the beauty and
activities Scottdale has to offer.
But roads and location are not the only positives for making
it a Scottdale Summer. Scottdale is also a part of the
Laurel Highlands, which is an area encompassing Southwestern
Pennsylvania, including Westmoreland, Fayette, and Somerset
counties. Within the Laurel Highlands there is much history
and culture along with outdoor adventure. Major sites to see
are Seven Springs Resort, Ohiopyle, Falling Water, Hidden
Valley, various wineries, and bike trails, just to name a
few. Scottdale makes a wonderful base from which to enjoy
your exploration of the Laurel Highlands.
For more information about the Laurel Highlands and what
there is to do visit
www.laurelhighlands.org.
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Resources
Scottdale Area Chamber of Commerce
The Scottdale Area
Chamber of Commerce is a partnership among
downtown businesses, political and community leaders, area
merchants, and downtown property owners who care about the
future of Scottdale and want to insure the vitality of the
downtown commercial district.
The Scottdale Area Chamber of Commerce offers a wide array
of services and programs that help enhance economic growth
and development of the community. Some of the activities
include: the Scottie Scholar Program, Lunch in the Park, The
Annual Easter Egg Hunt, and Christmas Parade. The Chamber
recently purchased new Christmas lights and banners, and
other downtown beautification projects are being planned.
Scottdale Public Library
Scottdale takes great pride in its library facilities. The
current location of the
Scottdale Public
Library is on Pittsburgh Street. The library serves over
12,000 people in Scottdale and East Huntingdon Township, but
the existing facilities have become inadequate and more
space is needed. As a result a new library is being built.
The new location will be on Spring Street where the former
YMCA building was located. The site will be completely
renovated and much larger than the current building.
The library offers many free programs to the public.
including computers with Internet service, audiotapes, DVDs
and videos, new titles, and a growing collection of large
print books. There is also a mini bookstore that sells books
the library receives as donations. The cost per book is .25
to $1.00.
Also, the Scottdale Public Library has three book clubs
for youth. Bookworms are in grades 1 and 2. Team Read is for
grades 3-5, and Teen Club is for grades 6 and up. The goal
of these clubs is to encourage a love of reading in children
and to encourage reading with comprehension. Books are
provided by the Scottdale Public Library. Children must
pre-register in order to insure a book is available for
their use.
Scottdale Community Events
Scottdale has a variety of community events for the
public to participate in during the summer months. Below are
activities and events for May and June. For a complete list
visit the Things to Do
page of the Scottdale Area Chamber of Commerce website.
Scottdale, Westmoreland County, PA
Discover Great Places In
Westmoreland