Waynesburg to shine during historic walking tours
WAYNESBURG – Ann Bargerstock stands in front of the Greene County Courthouse on a recent sunny day, as she greets visitors invited to a sneak preview of Saturday’s historic walking tour in downtown Waynesburg. Her eyes sparkle and a smile lights up her face as Bargerstock explains that Waynesburg Prosperous and Beautiful and the Greene County Tourist Promotion Agency decided to host the tour to showcase the small community’s history, architecture and beauty. The tour, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, will feature three public buildings, as well as two private homes.
“There have been walking tours of Waynesburg in the past, but this is the first one sponsored by Waynesburg Prosperous and Beautiful that banded together to advocate for beautification projects in the business district,” she said.
The walking tour, which will cover several blocks of the downtown business district, will feature the Greene County Courthouse, the restored Log Courthouse and the Opera House, which is now operated as the Waynesburg Theatre.
Private homes showcased on the tour include the Denny House, a historic Victorian townhouse originally built in 1836, and the Schwarz House, showcasing Neo-Classical Revival architecture, which was constructed shortly after the turn of the century.
Tour guides, including some who will be dressed in period clothing, will lead visitors through the public buildings and private homes.
Bargerstock said the tour guides will point out unique architectural features and recount stories about local history.
“Each one of the buildings has some interesting local flair,” Bargerstock said.
“We’re expecting about 300 or 400 people to participate in the tour,” she continued. “I think a lot of people are interested in history, old buildings and an opportunity to see what’s inside those buildings. The tour will give people a different perspective of these homes and buildings.”
As the sneak preview begins, Bargerstock, who works as director of planning and development for Greene County, points to the outside of the red brick courthouse located along High Street. She explains that the Greek Revival-style building was rebuilt in 1850 after fire destroyed the original courthouse, which was constructed in 1800.
Bargerstock proudly shows visitors the building’s Corinthian portico, featuring six huge white columns with cast iron capitals. The building’s cornerstone, which was laid by Free Masons on June 24, 1850, contains a copper box holding souvenirs, relics and copies of the Waynesburg Messenger and Greene County Whig, two Waynesburg newspapers at the time.
Samuel and John Bryan of Uniontown were hired by the county commissioners to construct the courthouse, according to historical information provided by Bargerstock. In the construction contract, it was agreed that the courthouse would cost a total of $16,000 and would conform to the plan, style and materials of the Fayette County Courthouse.
The jail was added onto the courthouse in 1880. A 1,250-pound bell, which hung in the original brick courthouse, was remolded in 1926 after it was damaged in the Downey Building fire and rehung in the courthouse tower.
Bargerstock points to an eight-foot statue of Gen. Nathaniel Greene, the founder of Waynesburg, that graces the building’s steeple.
As visitors enter the courthouse building, Bargerstock shows them the original mosaic tile floor, which displays the Commonwealth seal of Pennsylvania. An original spiral wooden staircase, located several feet inside the doorway, leads visitors on a journey to courtrooms and offices on the building’s second and third floors.
Bargerstock takes visitors down a hallway to show them a glass-enclosed wooden display case, featuring artifacts unearthed from the original courthouse destroyed by fire, and historic photographs from Greene County’s past. A section of wooden waterline that ran underneath the original courthouse, as well as old seals from county offices, are also displayed in the case.
“The artifacts and photographs in these cases are points of historical interest to the county,” she said.
In 1998, Bargerstock said a renovation and addition project was completed at the courthouse, which included the demolition of the old jail and the sheriff’s house. Two years later, the Greene County Commissioners received a Government Initiative Award from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission for the courthouse renovation project.
“Participants in the walking tour will be able to appreciate the blending of old and new as they traverse the halls of the historic courthouse, which has been preserved beautifully and pass into the addition, which combines modern amenities with the original flavor of the building,” she said.
Bargerstock then takes visitors to the historic Opera House located at 41 W. High St., which is now owned by the Kiger family, who operate it as a movie theater.
The flat-faced, red-brick building wedged between two store fronts also includes the Fashion Shop, which has served as a ladies’ clothing store in Waynesburg since the 1940s, according to owner Chris Kiger, a member of the promotion committee for Waynesburg Prosperous and Beautiful.
In 1870-71, the Odd Fellows and Masonic Building Association built the three-story brick structure, which housed business storerooms on the first floor, a Town Hall on the second floor and lodge rooms for the Odd Fellows and Masons on the third floor, according to historical accounts.
The construction of the building cost about $7,000. In 1889, the Town Hall was remodeled and converted into the Opera House, which seated about 524 people.
In 1902, William Jennings Bryan, the famed orator and former presidential candidate, spoke before about 1,200 Greene County residents, expounding on the evils of Wall Street and the dangers of imperialism, according to historical accounts.
The first talking picture was shown at the Opera House in 1913, and the theater continued to attract famous people, such as former President Howard Taft, Charles Correll of “Amos & Andy” and Will Rogers.
In 1939, the Opera House was converted into a modern theater, which could now seat 820 people.
Chris and Reed Kiger bought the theater in 1989 and began to renovate it with help from family members. The theater, which had been closed since 1986, reopened in August 1989 with a live performance of “Godspell,” performed by the Greene Theatre Company.
Kiger points out two 35-foot-tall original canvass paintings featuring castle scenes that hang on both sides of the stage area, as well as two 10-foot-tall canvass paintings featuring pink roses in vases.
“We’ve been told that someone played the piano while people watched silent movies at the Opera House in the early 1900s,” Kiger said.
Kiger led visitors upstairs to show off the theater’s balcony area, which offers special seats providing bird’s eyes views to moviegoers. She points out etched-glass lights hanging from the ceiling and wall sconces that she believes date back to the Art Deco era of the 1920s and ’30s.
After climbing up an outdoor fire escape, visitors see the original movie projector that still remains in operation today. Kiger explained that it was recently upgraded from carbon to an electric lamp.
In 1999, her sister and brother-in-law, Sally Scott Cameron and Don Cameron, joined Kiger in the ownership and management of the Waynesburg Theater.
“Tour participants will see the result of an extensive remodeling project and also be treated to some good old-fashioned, Vaudeville-style entertainment,” she said.
Bargerstock then takes visitors to see the two privately owned homes, the Denny House and the Schwarz House, which are also featured on the tour. The final stop on the historic walking tour is the Log Courthouse, which was constructed in 1797, one year after Greene County was established. George Graham and George Ullom built the structure for Sheriff James Hook, according to historical accounts. It was used as the county’s seat of government until about 1800 when the brick courthouse was constructed on High Street. Restoration of the log courthouse began in 1995 and was completed after Greene County purchased the building from the Greene County Historical Society in the fall of 2000.
“The log structure was carefully assessed, dissembled, logs were cleaned and repaired and a new foundation was built in the spring of 2001,” she said. The reconstructed log structure and the new addition, which is home to the Cornerstone Genealogical Society, opened to the public in the fall of 2002.
Bargerstock said the restored building features many component parts, which were gathered from a number of log homesteads located throughout Greene County.
Greene County families donated many components and their descriptions will be highlighted during the walking tour.
“Tour participants will appreciate the hard work and generosity of the many folks who assisted with the restoration, donated material or labor, and spent countless hours performing the many tasks associated with this restoration and construction project,” she said.
Tickets for the historic walking tour are available at the Waynesburg Theater box office or by calling Gene at 724-852-5223. Tickets will also be sold in advance at the McCracken Pharmacy, which is located on High Street in Waynesburg.