Apr 17, 2003 3 min read

Club to be honored The Fayette County Historical Society is planning a special program on Sunday, April 27 at 2 p.m. at Searight Tollhouse to recognize the Mountain Laurel Garden Club and the Fayette County Commissioners.

President Connie Kikta explained the historical society will dedicate a plaque to the garden club and recognize the commissioners.

“We want to show our appreciation and dedicate a plaque to the Mountain Laurel Garden Club for donating the funds to landscape the tollhouse. They paid for the entire project,’ said Kikta.

The landscaping included the planting of perennials.

Members of the garden club include Olive Semans, Jean Benson, Charlotte Frankhouser, Freda Yowler, Audrey Boger and Joycelyn Langley.

In addition, the historical society will honor county commissioners Vincent A. Vicites, Sean M. Cavanagh and Ronald M. Nehls.

“We’d like to take the opportunity to recognize them for their interest in the tollhouse,’ said Kikta.

The ceremony is open to the public and will include refreshments.

Searight Tollhouse is located along Route 40 in Menallen Township, just west of Uniontown. The tollhouse was built in 1835 and collected tolls on the National Road until the late 19th century.

The tollhouse is owned by Fayette County and operated as a museum by the Fayette County Historical Society.

Funding announced

U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta and U.S. Rep. John Murtha (D-Johnstown) announced funding of $25,000 under the scenic byways program for Pennsylvania’s Historic National Road.

The grant will develop a corridor-wide marketing plan to promote the historical, cultural and natural assets of Pennsylvania’s Historic National Road, which tracks Route 40 through Washington County, Fayette and Somerset counties.

“The National Road combines remarkable scenic beauty with its many historic attractions based on its rich history as the first federally funded road. With a good marketing plan, it can become a premier attraction in our region,” said Murtha.

Donna Holdorf, executive director of the Heritage Corridor, said, “We’ll use this grant to develop a marketing plant to promote the National Road as a destination. We want to thank Congressman Murtha for his support of our efforts.”

Grants from national scenic byways discretionary funds enable states to undertake eligible projects along highways designated as All-American Roads, National Scenic Byways and state-designated byways. Eligible under this program are planning projects to inventory, preserve and enhance the qualities of a byway, to improve safety, to construct bike and pedestrian facilities, to develop visitor information such as brochures and interpretive facilities and scenic overlooks, and to protect these resources by such means as scenic easements and byway marketing.

Service planned

Point Marion United Methodist Church will have Communion and a Service of Tenebrae today at 7 p.m. in observance of Holy Thursday. The Rev. James D. Lewis is pastor.