Allegheny Cemetery is the sixth oldest rural cemetery. On April 24, 1844, Allegheny Cemetery was chartered as a tax-free, non-profit organization. The Allegheny Cemetery Historical Association was established on March 17, 1980, as an educational and charitable organization.
Southwestern Pennsylvania
The southwestern corner of Pennsylvania is the area that was the original Washington County, formed on March 28, 1781. This is the land to the west of the Monongahela River, from the West Virginia line north and west and south of the Ohio River to the Ohio line.
Parts of the original Washington County are now Greene and portions of Beaver and Allegheny Counties. Both Pennsylvania and Virginia initially claimed this Southwestern Pennsylvania portion of the Commonwealth.
The first National Road, Route 40, came through our area, along with endless visits by the famous surveyors George Washington, Lafayette, George Rogers Clark, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, and many other renowned people.
Join Western Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh Museums to learn more about the county's notable ancestry—and possibly your own.
Museums
Allow aircraft from the past to guide you through the rich history of flight. It’s an aircraft restoration and working museum specializing in WWII and Vietnam-era aircraft and artifacts.
The Dome, located on the Beaver County Community College campus, is the permanent home of the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame.
It is Beaver County's oldest historical society (founded in 1945) and second oldest museum (founded in 1948) in the county.Artifact displayed relating to over 125 years of Beaver Falls history.
Founded in 1967 in Beaver, PA, 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, the Beaver Area Heritage Foundation achieved local, statewide and national recognition for its dedication to the preservation and documentation of Beaver’s rich history.
Leechburg Area Museum and Historical Society is located in the David Leech house -- the oldest house in Leechburg.
The County’s third Courthouse, built in 1856, is an elegant structure with a large portico, stone columns, and a highly ornamented dome. The former jail is a gothic-style structure attached to the Courthouse.
Consistent with its mission statement, the Freeport Area Historical Society purchased the Valley Mills and adjacent property in 1998. The purpose is to rehabilitate the building into an operational mill, creating an atmosphere similar to that of the mid-1900s.
On April 22, 1976, the Marshall House became the first building in Armstrong County to be added to the Pennsylvania Inventory of Historic Places. In May 1976, it was also placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The building was erected in 1909 as the Apollo headquarters for the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. It housed the first public library in Apollo and Armstrong County. The building is now the home of the Apollo Area Historical Society and its museum.
Drake's Log Cabin is a one-room log cabin that shows how early settlers lived. Items from the era are on display.
St. Stephen's Old Stone Church is a Protestant Episcopal Church located near the remains of the Bradys Bend Iron Company furnaces. In 1867, the company's trustees granted a parcel of land to each of six religious groups upon receiving $1.00.
Birthplace and childhood home of ecologist and author Rachel Carson (1907-1964), whose 1962 book Silent Spring helped to launch the environmental movement. Guided tours and classes are available.
Go back over a hundred years and take a new look at a period in Pittsburgh’s history often characterized by the extremes of late 19th-century America: fabulous wealth and grinding poverty.
In addition to being the organizing force behind saving the Braddock Carnegie Library, the Braddock’s Field Historical Society is dedicated to preserving the history surrounding General Braddock and the French and Indian War.
The Museum, built in the 1850s, was a typical Greene County farmhouse made of locally fired brick. In the late 1800s, several wings were added, and it became the Poor Farm to house the county's indigents. They planted crops and raised farm animals that fed them.
Come to Fort Ligonier and journey back two centuries to a place where the flag of His Majesty King George still flies! Relive the stirring days of young Colonel George Washington and General John Forbes and the encounters of the British and Americans against the French and Indians.
A History of the Point The Fort Pitt Museum is located in a re-created eighteenth-century bastion of the famous British fort on the Forks of the Ohio River in Point State Park, Pittsburgh.
Founded in 1849, Waynesburg University (college) has a rich historical tradition. The University is proud to share its history and local history in the Paul R. Stewart Museum, located in the basement of Miller Hall on the main campus.
This is a place one should explore. The museum, full of antique photos, is devoted to the exhibition, preservation, and study of photography, with an emphasis on 19th-century photography. The museum's collection comprises 500,000 images, negatives, 20,000 cameras, and accessories.
Soldiers & Sailors museum offers a unique look into American history. The museum explores the evolution of equipment and technology as well as the effects that military conflicts have had on society. The museum’s collections span art from the mid 1900's to cultural artifacts of today.
Committed to education, research, and wildlife conservation, the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is actively involved in 25 Species Survival Plans and proudly exhibits 32 threatened or endangered species.
The Bible Lands Museum's exhibits offer glimpses into life from prehistoric times into the Middle Ages. Artifacts include many forms of pottery; objects made of stone, bone, alabaster, faience, glass, and metal; and rare examples of ancient basketry, leather, and textiles.
Hanna's Town, founded in 1773 and named for its founder Robert Hanna, was the first County Seat of Westmoreland County and the site of the first English court west of the Allegheny Mountains.
Organizations
The Allegheny-Kiski Valley Historical Society is a non-profit, permanent institution whose primary mission is interpreting, preserving, and celebrating our cultural, industrial, and ethnic heritage of the Allegheny and Kiskiminetas river valleys in southwestern Pennsylvania, a region embracing th
Most Greene County residents and neighbors know this organization for the pets offered for adoption and perhaps for the requests for money (any government agency does not regularly fund them at any level).
A multifaceted program, the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area's mission includes historic preservation, cultural conservation, education, recreation, and resource development. The Heritage Area has bills in Congress to create the Homestead Works National Park.
The Historical Society publishes a quarterly journal of history, Westmoreland History, and a monthly newsletter, Westmoreland Chronicle. It is governed by a policy-making Board of Directors. A paid, full-time Executive Director is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Society.
The Zelienople Historical Society maintains a museum in Passavant House with many of the original articles brought by Zelie.
Pittsburgh has always been a crossroads for many cultures. This rich tapestry enlivens the city and provides diverse opportunities to experience the artistic, cultural, and intellectual contributions brought by people from around the globe.
Based at the University of Pittsburgh and housed in the Stephen Foster Memorial, the Center for American Music is a library, archive, and museum dedicated to expanding and documenting knowledge of American music and its role in Americ
This Society attempts to fill the historical and genealogical needs for all within a 35-mile radius that do not have a historical organization of their own. They presently own and maintain two cemeteries:
Since its founding in 1875, Indiana University of Pennsylvania has progressed and evolved to match the changing needs of those it serves.
Established in 1927, Butler County Historical Society's main goal was to preserve the history and culture of the county. Back in 1927 a group of locals of the county met to discuss what contiburtion they could make to portray the history of their society.
The Indiana County Historical & Genealogical Society in western PA serves a largely rural area noted for its forest, mineral resources, and scenic beauty. In 1938, the Indiana County Historical & Genealogical Society was founded as a private membership organization.
Once considered New Castle’s “best kept secret”, the word is out on the Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts and its vision to “provide the best possible arts to the greatest number of people”!
Incorporated on February 22, 1988, the Ellwood City Area Historical Society is dedicated to preserving and promoting the rich history of our community.
The Lawrence County Historical Society is located in New Castle. The home of former tin plate mogul, George Greer, it is resplendent in it's glorious woodwork and fine leaded beveled glass made by the Fry Glass Company in Rochester, Pennsylvania.
The Foundation established in 1971, December 14, is a non-profit organization. The name of Beaver County Historical Research and Landmarks Foundation comes from the County name where it is situated.
The Fayette County Historical Society is a non-profit organization established in 1971. Its mission and purpose are to find, collect, and preserve materials that portray the history of the county and the society.
The Society's goal is to arouse interest in local history and historic preservation through education, publications, meetings and events. Since its inception, the Society has grown to include more than 550 members and a permanent museum.
The Latrobe Area Historical Society of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, is dedicated to the collection, study and documentation of the Latrobe community's heritage and to the preservation of local history and its ethnic roots.Periodically the Society offers to the public special programs of his
The mission of the Ligonier Valley Historical Society discover, collect, preserve and disseminate any material which will help to establish or illustrate the exploration, settlement, development and general history of the Ligonier Valley area.
The McKeesport Heritage Center operates a museum and a research center. The museum has numerous displays of local memorabilia, including old photographs.
The mission of the Society for Contemporary Craft is to engage the public in the creative experience as expressed through contemporary craft.The organization seeks to move viewers beyond familiar frames of reference and challenge them to think in new ways about art, while also raising standards o
Opened in October 1988, Perryopolis Area Heritage Society is managed by local enthusiasts who want to preserve, promote, and develop the town's and neighborhood's historical structures and heritage. It is a Pennsylvania-chartered organization with 501(c) (3) not-for-profit status.
Organized in 1994 with 11 members, the Smock Historical Society preserves the heritage of the coal mining community, Smock, and the neighborhood.
The mission of Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania is to educate people of Southwestern Pennsylvania and encourage them to take care of nature.