WJHHS CELEBRATES ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY est Jefferson Hills BOROUGH OF JEFFERSON HILLS NEWS
In 2025, the West Jefferson Hills Historical Society( WJHHS) reached an important milestone— its twenty-fifth year in existence. On Saturday, September 20, 2025, the society celebrated this achievement with a dedication ceremony honoring its founder, followed by an open house for the community.
At 12:30 p. m., WJHHS held a bench dedication in honor of Joyce Schmidt, who founded the organization in 2000. The bench, engraved with Joyce’ s name, will be placed outside the doors leading to the Jefferson Hills Council Chambers and the WJHHS Archive.
President Gretchen Fuller began the ceremony with opening remarks about Joyce’ s legacy before introducing the speakers. Pastor Floyd Hughes of CrossRoads Community Church— who livestreamed the event— offered an uplifting invocation, encouraging those in attendance to continue Joyce’ s mission of preserving local history and promoting education.
Joyce’ s son, Frederick Schmidt, accompanied by his wife Laurie, then delivered a touching speech. He expressed gratitude to WJHHS for honoring his mother and spoke fondly of her love for
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family, her church,“ her” library, and her community’ s history. He expressed certainty that his mother’ s memory would live on through the many people whose lives she touched and through the many ways the WJHHS has kept her name alive.
Following Fred’ s remarks, Jefferson Hills Borough Councilman David Montgomery read a citation from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, obtained through Representative Andrew Kuzma. The certificate recognized Joyce’ s many contributions to the West Jefferson Hills community. Following the reading, the citation was presented to Fred and Laurie Schmidt.
The ceremony concluded with Brandi Moyer, Associate Director of Jefferson Hills Public Library, sharing her memories of Joyce and reflecting on her development of the library. The dedication ceremony was touching and memorable, leaving a lasting impression on all who attended.
Afterward, the historical society welcomed area residents to a“ History on Display” Open House from 1:00-4:00 p. m. in the Community Rooms of the Jefferson Hills Borough Building. There, attendees viewed local history artifacts from the WJHHS Archive. Table displays included historical information, photographs and artifacts on Churches and Cemeteries, Area Schools, Municipal Services( Police and Fire Departments), Early Businesses, Military, Early Families and Household Items, Community Activities, and Genealogical Research. As residents browsed the room, they learned much about the history of their community. All in all, the dedication and open house were an outstanding example of the way that the West Jefferson Hills Historical Society fulfills its mission to discover, preserve, and chronicle the history of Jefferson Hills, Pleasant Hills, and West Elizabeth.
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40 WEST JEFFERSON HILLS