For many years, the Greenville Area Historical Society Museum was located on College Avenue in a building owned by Thiel College—the Marietta Roth House. Its nine rooms contained the artifacts so generously donated over the past 25 years by the citizens of Greenville and the surrounding area.
Greenville
Mercer County's early economy was based on agriculture, and the population was relatively evenly distributed, with a few small towns at vital locations.
Greenville Borough is the oldest community in Mercer County. Settlement at the strategic forks of the Shenango and Little Shenango rivers occurred in the 1790s. Growth was steady but slow through the early years of the 19th century.
Several mills were constructed along the rivers. Greenville's town plan, featuring the "diamond" town square common to Scots-Irish communities, was laid out on the hillside west of the river junction early in the 19th century.
Museums
The Museum's motto stands as a reminder to us all:"...that the old will remember, and the young shall know."Engine 604ENGINE 604 - the last of its kind - was the largest switch engine ever built...
The Erie Extension Canal was a significant means of travel from Pittsburgh to the Great Lakes from 1854 to 1871. This canal system was vital to western Pennsylvania's iron industry before the introduction of the railroads.
Organizations
The Greenville Area Historical Society was established in 1978 by a group of dedicated Greenville citizens to preserve the town's rich history. The Society maintains a museum and regularly presents programs such as ethnic heritage festivals, lectures, and walking tours of downtown.