Gill Hall, one of several small villages scattered throughout the West Jefferson Hills area, is steeped in local history. Its very name dates back to 1791, when William McGill received a land patent for 176 acres he called“ Gill Hall.” His farmstead once stood where Waterman Farms Estates is located today.

The village center of Gill Hall is located near the intersection of Waterman and Gill Hall Roads. However, the area commonly referred to as Gill Hall extends roughly from Jefferson United Methodist Church in one direction to Gill Hall Park in the other.

Jefferson Methodist Episcopal Church

The crossroads of Waterman and Gill Hall has served as a commercial hub for centuries. Over the years, a wide range of businesses has operated there, including a livery stable, post office, mom-andpop store, gas station, used bookstore, and pizza shop. In more recent times, establishments such as Scruples Beauty Salon, Jefferson Hills Lawn & Equipment, and Voss Appliance have become familiar names at the intersection.

Though best known for its businesses, Gill Hall was once dotted with log homes.

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Gill Hall Log House

Today, only one remains, or rather, has been preserved in a unique way. The McGill log cabin stood along Waterman Road for more than a century until Dale and Betty Graff dismantled it, rebuilt it, and combined it with another nearby log house to create the Oak Noggin Bed & Breakfast on their Waterman Road property.

Gill Hall is also home to two historic churches. Jefferson United Methodist Church, located at 310 Gill Hall Road, was founded in 1843 on land donated by Elijah Beam, with its first building constructed by William Snee. Jefferson United Presbyterian Church, at 716 Gill Hall Road, was established in 1857. The land for it was purchased from William Lowrie for the modest price of six cents. The early clapboard buildings of these two churches eventually gave way to structures made from stone, brick, and mortar, but even so, it is remarkable that the two historical churches still exist today.

Education has deep roots in Gill Hall as well. The village was the site of the earliest Jefferson Township school, a log structure built in 1812. It originally sat across from the Presbyterian Church at the corner of Gill Hall and Chamberlin Roads. In the 1930s, the school was moved on skids to a larger, flatter lot at 628 Gill Hall Road. Eventually closed and sold, the old log schoolhouse

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was converted into a private residence, which still stands today.

At the other end of the village lies Gill Hall Park. In the 1930s, and for many years after, the park building housed Local GBU 496. During those years the GBU and its adjacent baseball field provided great entertainment to community members. In the 1990s, the Gill Hall GBU Social Club deeded the property to the Borough of Jefferson Hills with the condition that it

Jefferson Presbyterian Church

always remain a place for public recreation. Thus, the borough preserves the Gill Hall Park GBU for future generations to enjoy.

A Roll of Honor recognizing Gill Hall military veterans originally sat next to Scruples’ parking lot, but it was later moved to the old Gill Hall Volunteer Fire Department. Perhaps the Gill Hall village’ s most remarkable historical feature, however, is its two Revolutionary War soldiers. Abraham Beam( 1748-1814) is buried at the Jefferson United Methodist Cemetery, and James Hindman( 1748-1832) is buried in a tiny burial ground somewhat hidden between Gill Hall and Ney Roads.

When considering the entire historical landscape of Gill Hall, it’ s clear that few other communities of the same size can match the depth of heritage found in this small, yet storied, village.

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