Fayette County
Historical Society to host ribbon-cutting ceremony Fayette County Historical Society will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house for its new headquarters on Friday. The two-story, redbrick facility is located along Route 40 at 7083 National Pike, Smock, next to the Old Route 40 Diner and about a mile west of Searights Tollhouse, which also is operated by the historical society.
“The purpose is to feature the restoration work of our volunteers on the building. They’ve done an amazing amount of work in a short amount of time,” said Jeremy Burnworth, president of the historical society.
Burnworth credited Tom Buckelew and Bill Zinn as well as the state Department Of Corrections’ Inmate Community Work Program, which sent a crew from the State Correctional Institution at Greene in Waynesburg to work at the headquarters on several occasions. He noted that volunteers permitted the work to be done at minimal costs.
The historical society received this property one year ago as a gift from Virginia and Warren Dick of Smithfield. The house has five rooms on the first floor and four rooms on the second floor. The building, which was constructed in 1840, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It once served as the Abel Colley Tavern on the Historic National Road.
The historical society plans to house its offices, and hold meetings and fundraisers here. Eventually, the historical society would like to establish a library, museum and gift shop on site.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house will run from 3 to 6 p.m. and will feature a short program that includes remarks by Burnworth and a special unveiling. Virginia and Warren Dick are expected to attend along with government officials and representatives from other historical organizations, including the Sen. John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center.
Light refreshments will be served. Period-looking mugs and steins will be available for sale as keepsakes.
The building will not remain open after the ceremony but officials wanted the public to have an opportunity to see the work that has been accomplished on the restoration of the building.
Burnworth said, “It deserves some credit of its own.”
Future plans call for a small museum being established at the building that would showcase exhibits pertaining to Fayette County history, such as art, furniture, glass or other objects. The historical society is an affiliate of the Heinz History Center and is expecting to bring in some exhibitions through this relationship, including a Civil War exhibition in the future.
In addition to Burnworth, other officers of the Fayette County Historical Society include Chris Buckelew as vice president and Rita Mele as treasurer.
An advisory committee is being formed to oversee operations of the building. Anyone wanting to join the committee should contact Burnworth at 724-439-4422. Anyone wanting to make a donation can send it to Fayette County Historical Society, P.O. Box 193, Uniontown, Pa. 15401. More information is available online at www.fayettehistory.org.