Meadowcroft postpones season opener because of pandemic

Paul Guggenheimer
Monday, April 27, 2020 12:06 p.m. | Monday, April 27, 2020 12:06 p.m.

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Briana Lewis | For the Tribune-Review

University of Cambridge doctoral student Delvin Gandy surveys a section of the deep hole at the Meadowcroft Rockshelter in Avella on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019.

Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village, part of the Senator John Heinz History Center system, postponed Saturday’s scheduled opening of its 52nd season because of covid-19 concerns.

Meadowcroft, a National Historic Landmark located in Washington County, is the oldest site of human habitation in North America. It features a massive rock overhang used by the region’s earliest inhabitants for shelter more than 19,000 years ago.

While Meadowcroft is closed, the site is offering online educational resources for virtual visitors, available through the Heinz History Center’s History at Home online hub.

Recently, the National Trust for Historic Preservation recognized Meadowcroft’s online learning offerings as part of its Distinctive Destinations program.

Updated information on the site’s reopening for the 2020 season can be found at heinzhistorycenter.org.