What’s that? Delmont officials found a new spot for the borough’s first ‘traffic light’
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Editor’s note: ‘What’s That?’ is a recurring feature in the Tribune-Review’s Westmoreland Plus edition. If there’s something you’d like to see explored here, send an email to gtrcity@triblive.com or call 724-838-5146.
Back in the 1990s, a group of Delmont public works employees discovered an odd-looking stone pillar, which appeared to have been tossed over a hillside behind the former Rock Spring skating rink.
A little research uncovered what it used to be: Delmont’s first traffic light. The stone pillar has a small, spherical opening with a glass fixture set inside.
The pillar was referred to as a “traffic dummy.” The first dummies were built in 1868, gas-lit traffic lights installed outside the House of Parliament in London. They replaced police officers who typically stood in the center of busy intersections to direct traffic.
In Delmont, it was placed at what was formerly known as “Salem Crossroads,” the modern-day intersection of Freeport, Pittsburgh and Greensburg streets and the name of the area before it was christened as “Delmont.” Back then, it was the intersection of the north-south Greensburg-Kittanning Pike (modern-day Route 66) and the east-west Northern Turnpike (which became Route 22).
The pillar was placed directly in the center of the street, creating a sort of de facto roundabout, with the phrase, “Keep To Right” carved or painted onto all four sides.
Local historian Bob Cupp, who wrote “A Valley in the Hills” about Delmont’s history, said he was not able to determine exactly when the dummy was installed or when it was removed.
“A 1902 picture of the First National Bank building showed no evidence of the traffic dummy,” Cupp said. “Since the roads at that intersection weren’t paved until 1920, ’22 and ’24, it would make sense that the dummy wasn’t installed until then or later.”
A little over a year ago, public works officials moved it to a much more prominent spot: the Rose Wigfield Parklet on Greensburg Street, where anyone passing by can check out a little piece of the history of the “Valley in the Hills.”
“I think it’s a great part of our heritage,” said Delmont Mayor Alyce Urban. “To get it out front in the park for people to actually see a part of our history is wonderful, it’s what it’s all about.”