THE SOCIETY
NEWS
All the latest information
on the Monroeville
Historical Society.
k
By Robert Elms
Welcoming a New
Decade with MHS
As we ring in the New Year and a new
decade, the Monroeville Historical Society
celebrates the accomplishments of 2019.
Monroeville’s historical buildings continue
to play important roles in the lives of our
community families.
Last year, the Old Stone Church (OSC)
was the location of choice for 12 couples to
both conduct and celebrate their wedding
vows. With this article is a picture of one
bride and groom’s “Thank You” note to the
Society.
Last November, the OSC hosted the
50th anniversary of the Annual Tree
Lighting event with a ribbon-cutting at the
beginning of the event and refreshments
at the end of the event. Several days later,
Monroeville’s Cross Roads Presbyterian
Church had its annual Community
Thanksgiving service at the OSC. The
original Cross Roads congregation built
the first church on this site in 1834.
The annual Heritage Day Festival was
held last October at Monroeville’s two
historical homes, the McGinley Stone
House and the McCully Log House.
About 200 people attended this event
where 75 children
took a pony ride,
86 children painted
pumpkins, and 41
families made their
own scarecrow
starting with a shirt,
a pair of pants and a
pile of straw.
The Society
has enabled these
historical buildings
to continue as
important places
for members of the
community to enjoy
and enrich their
lives. The goal in
2020 is to add more
opportunities for the community to enjoy
its historical buildings.
The Society is the steward of the
historical buildings, not the owner.
Building maintenance is the only way
to preserve these community assets for
future generations to enjoy. Last year,
the roof and the gutters of the McCully
House were replaced, then the stone wall
in front of the two historical homes was
rebuilt.
Society members do not do this
work. The Society’s Board of Directors
annually evaluates the maintenance
needs and allocates funds raised from
OSC wedding fees to hire contractors
to do the major maintenance work on
these historical sites. All these historical
sites are owned by the Monroeville
Municipality, meaning they are the
community’s property. And the Society
thanks the municipality, which maintains
the grounds at all the historical sites.
The Society is an all-volunteer
nonprofit organization and would love
to have more community volunteers and
involvement. Meetings are held at the
Monroeville Public Library at 7 p.m. on
the third Tuesday of every month except
December and February. Questions and
comments can be sent to the Monroeville
Historical Society, 2700 Monroeville
Boulevard, Monroeville, PA 15146.
More information about the Society,
historical pictures, numerous books
filled with historical information, and a
few video presentations of local history
can be found on the Society’s website:
MonroevilleHistorical.org.
For more information about the Monroeville Historical Society, visit monroevillehistorical.org,
e-mail [email protected] or call 412.856.1000.
MONROEVILLE
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SPRING 2020
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