There have also been some creative
ideas for fundraising, including a
challenge to Bethel Park alumni to donate
replacement windows for $500 each in
honor of their graduating class.
“The window campaign successfully
funded all of the window replacement
for the building’s 107 windows,” notes
Bill. “We had eight decades of classes
involved. Our earliest class was 1949 and
the most recent was 2016.”
Local businesses, along with donations
from the community, have also assisted
in the task. Along with the heating and
cooling improvements, the replacement
windows have been installed, walls have
been painted and hardwood floors have
been refinished. The front steps outside
the building have also been replaced and
the trolley that sits outside of the building
has been restored. Bethel Park High
School also donated the original school
bell back to the center.
Besides participating in future
fundraising campaigns to replace the roof
and front driveway, there are other ways
residents can support the project.
“People can join the Historical Society
with a $20 individual membership, or
a $40 family membership,” says Bill.
“They can attend our monthly meetings,
or become active members who meet
weekly and do projects at the center.
Because we are part of the HCAP
program, members can get free admission
to Heinz History Center.”
Companies are also needed to do tasks
such as carpentry, masonry and outdoor
excavation.
“As a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization,
we are able to give a tax letter to any
entity that gives us a donation and they
can take that amount off for their taxes,”
adds Bill.
Donations of objects and original,
or scanned, photos with historical
significance are also welcome.
Plans for the space include a wide range
of activities for the whole community to
enjoy, including rental space for events
and classrooms for artists to rent, a
military museum, coal miners museum
and even an old-fashioned classroom.
“Our goal is to operate as a true
historical society, where kids can come
in and access the first Bethel Park High
School yearbook, or where they can get
a sense of their community’s history
by looking at coal mining equipment,
or acknowledging the veterans in the
community by looking at the military
uniforms,” says Bill.
Bill Haberthur is happy with his
involvement in the project. “I worked on
100 million dollar transactions on Wall
Street and traveled extensively,” he notes.
“But ask me at the end of the day if I felt
I did anything to contribute to my fellow
man? Now, at the end of the day, it’s very
rewarding. Not only do we want to do
the renovation and sustain the building,
but we also want to leave it with an
endowment so that it will never be in this
position again. We want the building to
be maintained for another 100 years and
educate and get kids involved so that they
will be the next stewards of the building.”
Barbara Haberthur is also pleased
with the progress. “Today, I marvel at
the building’s transformation—it’s as if I
am being transported back in time to my
school days,” she says. “I thank all of the
Bethel Park Historical Society volunteers
for their time and efforts in preserving
our local history and this landmark
building.” ■
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT FACEBOOK.COM/BETHELPARKHISTORICALSOCIETY.
Renovations are progressing thanks to grants, donations and other
fundraising efforts to preserve the building for future generations.
A Bit of History About
The Schoolhouse Arts &
History Center
Built in 1905, the Bethel Township
High School was just a three-room
schoolhouse, with two classrooms on
the first floor and a large room on the
second floor.
In 1917, through the Smith-Hughes
Act, which provided funds for the
purpose of promoting vocational
education in agricultural, industrial
trades and home economics, a new
section was added to the building
and it became the Bethel Vocational
School.
Later, in 1934, the building became
the Bethel Grade School and another
addition was constructed at the
back of the building; also the front
entrance was changed from Park
Avenue to South Park Road.
Through the 1960s, as other
schools were built or renovated,
the building was used for student
overflow.
In the 1970s, the building was used
as a storage facility for the school
district and some of the rooms were
rented out to theater groups.
The Pittsburgh History &
Landmarks Foundation designated
the building as a historic landmark in
1990.
In 1996, the Historical Society
purchased the building for $1 and
has since used it as its home base. To
pay for the operation of the building,
the society promoted the building
as The Schoolhouse Arts Center and
continued to rent out space to artist,
theater and community groups.
In 2016, a $1 million capital
campaign to preserve the building
was initiated by the Historical Society.
Bethel Park | Winter 2017 | icmags.com 19