Westmoreland 250: 10 things to see in New Stanton, Youngwood
(Editor’s note: To mark Westmoreland County’s 250th birthday this year, we’ve come up with a list of 250 things — 10 things in 25 communities — that we consider to be important to the makeup of our area. This series will appear each week through December. If you have a suggestion for a future installment, please email gtrcity@triblive.)
New Stanton was created from two early villages in the area, Old Stanton and Paintersville, according to borough history.
The town itself was laid out by Benjamin Snyder. In 1858, Col. Israel Painter built a mill on Big Sewickley Creek, which was how Paintersville got its name. Paintersville later was sold to James and Catherine Stanton, and the town was shortly thereafter renamed New Stanton.
The town’s first school was built in 1871, and early New Stanton was home to salt wells, iron furnaces, stone quarries, sand works and a tannery.
A little farther north, the borough of Youngwood was established in 1899 on land owned by families whose surnames were combined to create “Youngwood.” It was incorporated as a borough in 1902.
The Youngwood Land Co., formed by E.M. Gross, purchased land from the Young and Woods families, as well as that of local resident David Highberger. Part of the area also was purchased by the Pennsylvania Railroad.
The company laid out lots on both sides of Fourth Street, and they went up for sale in 1901. Another local landowner, Henry Stroble, laid out his lots, and owing to a disagreement between Stroble and the land company, the lots were laid out in different dimensions, which accounts for the irregularity of the borough’s Fifth and Sixth streets where they meet up with Depot Street.
Here are 10 unique things in New Stanton and Youngwood:
Rural free delivery
New Stanton was home to the first group of rural mail routes in Pennsylvania. In 1896, the U.S. Postal Service established trial runs for the rural free delivery mail system. One was in New Stanton and one was in Ruffs Dale.
The introduction of parcel post in rural areas gave farmers and their families access to the vast amount of mass-produced, manufactured goods to be found in the era’s mail order catalogs.
A historical marker detailing the rural free delivery trials is at the intersection of West Pennsylvania Avenue and Post Road.
Pagano’s Restaurant and Catering
In the mid-1950s, Nino and Rose Pagano began serving Old World-style Italian dishes on Otterman Street in Greensburg.
Not long after, they purchased a building in New Stanton and established Pagano’s as the borough’s oldest family-owned restaurant.
“Nino and Rose bought the place, and then it went from brother to brother. Lee and Carol Pagano bought it right around the time I started here, in the 1980s,” said Rhonda Davis, who bought Pagano’s with her husband in 2011.
In addition to Italian specialty dishes including homemade lasagna, manicotti and gnocchi, Pagano’s Restaurant and Catering also offers a wide range of American fare such as burgers, wings and wraps.
Pagano’s is at 108 E. Byers Ave.
Five Star Trail
Stretching from Greensburg’s Lynch Field to Youngwood, the Five Star Trail branches eastward to connect with Westmoreland County Community College’s campus and continues toward the Armbrust neighborhood.
As it winds through the borough, it also makes its way along Trolley Line Avenue, where the former Greensburg & Southern Electric Street Railway Co. once offered trolley service between Greensburg, South Greensburg and Youngwood starting in 1902.
Youngwood Historical & Railroad Museum and Station Café
Located inside a preserved 1902 passenger and baggage station along the former Southwest Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad, the museum contains artifacts and information about the region’s history and community. It also hosts a popular fish fry fundraiser during the Lenten season.
The museum is at 1 Depot St. in Youngwood.
Sewickley Creek Wetlands
Just off the Route 66 Turnpike Bypass in New Stanton, nature lovers can find a place to relax and enjoy the Sewickley Creek Wetlands, 21 acres full of trails, educational areas and an observation deck.
Sewickley Creek, a man-made wetlands, was created by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to replace the natural area affected by construction of the Amos K. Hutchinson Bypass.
The wetlands are one of 11 county parks in Westmoreland.
It is located across from the Turnpike’s Western Regional Office on North Center Avenue in New Stanton.
Pennsylvania Turnpike
Chances are pretty good that you have “visited” the Pennsylvania Turnpike at some point. And while its Western Regional Office in New Stanton isn’t open to the public, it’s impossible to look back at the history and growth of the borough without including it.
Situated at the intersection of four major highways with easy access to Mid-Atlantic and Midwest routes, New Stanton has grown into a major commercial hub over the years, evidenced by Amazon’s recent decision to place a massive warehouse there.
Considered the country’s first “super highway” when it opened in 1940, the Turnpike had 11 original interchanges including New Stanton and the nearby Donegal and Irwin interchanges.
The Western Regional Office has an artifacts exhibit showcasing some of the roadway’s history, and Turnpike travelers can see some of the same memorabilia at its North Midway Service Plaza in Bedford.
Youngwood Park n Pool
Through donations from residents, businesses and community groups, the Youngwood Park n Pool opened its doors in 1961, quickly becoming a gathering spot in the ’60s and ’70s.
It marked its 60th anniversary in 2021, and today remains a popular destination for summer fun in the borough. In preparation for its anniversary season, pool officials completed major renovations that included handicap accessibility and a stage built by students and instructors from the Central Westmoreland Career & Technology Center in neighboring New Stanton.
The pool offers summer memberships as well as daily gate rates. It is at 801 S. 10th St. in Youngwood.
Hepler’s Hardware
Co-owners and siblings Robert Hepler and Megan Orient are the fourth generation of their family to operate Hepler’s Hardware, which marked its 80th anniversary in 2022.
Hepler’s Hardware began as a feed store in 1942 in Youngwood. Shortly thereafter, its owners purchased the 19th-century Stanton family mill on Sewickley Creek, relocating there. The hardware store was the founding and oldest division of Hepler’s Town & Country Enterprises, which has expanded over the years to include Stanton Milling and the Stanton Daily Grind coffee shop.
During its eight decades in business, the store has employed about 200 people. Hepler’s Hardware is at 818 Route 119 in New Stanton. For more, see HeplersHardware.com.
Sib’s Sweet Shoppe
Voted the 2022 Best Candy Shop in Westmoreland County by Tribune-Review readers, Sib’s Sweet Shoppe has been crafting chocolate candies for more than three decades in New Stanton.
From meltaways to fresh dipped chocolate-covered fruit and chocolate caramel covered apples, the shop has a wide variety of treats to satisfy almost anyone’s sweet tooth.
Sib’s is at 814 Route 119 in New Stanton, in the same plaza as Hepler’s Hardware.
Westmoreland County Community College
The push to establish a community college for Westmoreland County began in the late 1960s. Following approval by state education officials, it was officially founded in March 1970, according to the school’s website.
Students in the college’s first nine classes began their education on Feb. 1, 1971, in rented classrooms at Jeannette High School. In late 1971, Westinghouse offered to sell its Youngwood semiconductor plant to serve as a permanent campus, and in the fall of 1972 the college moved to its current site. Over the years, it has grown substantially, adding satellite campuses in Murrysville, Indiana, Latrobe, New Kensington and Uniontown, as well as its Public Safety Training Center in South Huntingdon. More than 3,000 students enroll each year in over 100 programs of study.
The main campus includes the college’s Student Achievement Center, which recently underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation; the Health and Culinary Center, formerly known as Commissioners Hall; the Science Innovation Center; the Business and Industry Center; and several athletic fields.
WCCC is at 145 Pavilion Lane just outside of Youngwood.
Patrick Varine is a TribLive reporter covering Delmont, Export and Murrysville. He is a Western Pennsylvania native and joined the Trib in 2010 after working as a reporter and editor with the former Dover Post Co. in Delaware. He can be reached at pvarine@triblive.com.
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