Bethel Park's Coverdale neighborhood celebrates 100th anniversary

Hundreds of people flocked to the Bethel Park neighborhood of Coverdale for its 100th anniversary this month.

The celebration also served as a re-dedication of Miner’s Memorial Park in Coverdale after it received some major upgrades. A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony took place July 17 followed by various children’s activities.

“The community came together,” said Diane Ford, anniversary committee member and one of the event organizers. “Old friends, old neighbors walking up and down the street. Very nostalgic. It was a nice time.”

The celebration continued with a neighborhood picnic the following day, complete with fireworks.

Historian Bob McCormick showcased various artifacts via an exhibit at Bethel Baptist Church.

“It’s a whole array of things,” said McCormick, 49. “It was exciting because when I was younger I grew up with a lot of these miners. They used to always tell me their stories and I would write them down. I thought it was important, even back then.”

McCormick said he began collecting items in the 1970s and ‘80s and started on the exhibit in 2018.

The exhibit will be open to the public from noon to 3 p.m. every Saturday in August at 2899 Cherry St.

More information is available at coverdalebethelbaptist.org.

Park upgrades included a new playground, handicap accessible sidewalks, fencing, an upgraded concession stand, new basketball courts and stormwater management upgrades.

Council president Tim Moury was the emcee for the celebration.

“The main thing about Coverdale is it’s a very close-knit community,” Moury said. “It’s a foundation of people. The houses are closer together. It’s like an old-fashioned neighborhood. The people of Coverdale are very loyal to Coverdale. It all turned out good. It really gave us an opportunity to showcase the park and all the improvements and the history of Coverdale.”

Borough officials said Coverdale’s history dates back to 1915, when the Montour Railroad started buying farmland in the area and selling portions to the Pittsburgh Terminal Railroad and Coal Company.

William Hugh Coverdale was the Pittsburgh Terminal Railroad board chairman at that time. When the Coverdale mine opened in 1920, the town was planned to be better than other mining towns, offering nicer amenities, housing and more. Coverdale wanted to create a mining town that was superior to others and set a new bar for mining towns. And, he wanted the town to be named after him because he was proud of what Coverdale became.

The park was originally a wooded area used partially as a dumpsite. Whatever Coverdale residents could not use or burn or wanted to dispose of was sent there.

The mining company and several miners cleared an area for the Coverdale baseball team to practice and play in the late 1920s. This area is now Lower Miners Field.

When the mine closed in 1948, Coverdale residents bought the property that they once rented and made improvements to the homes in the area.

Bethel Park Chamber of Commerce director Connie Ruhl talked about the development of Bethel Park’s Industrial area.

“That was the hub of the business district, and we’re so fortunate to have as many businesses as we do,” Ruhl said. “The mining company started with its three stores, champion stores.”

The buildings that those stores used to be in now house Ruthfred Market, Blue Line Grille and apartments along Main Street.

Ruhl said the Bethel Board of Trade started in the neighborhood and it evolved into the chamber of commerce.

Borough officials said heavy rain in the late afternoon forced some changes to the July 17 activities, but all feedback received over the weekend was positive.