Air Heritage is an aircraft restoration hangar and working museum specializing in World War II and Vietnam-era aircraft, artifacts, and related items. It is located at the Beaver County Airport, in Chippewa Township near Beaver Falls, PA.
Beaver
Beaver is a rural county located minutes northwest of Pittsburgh, featuring rolling hills and spectacular valleys typical of Western Pennsylvania. It celebrates European cultures and traditions and is considered the fourth most livable county in the United States, offering conveniences typically found in a world-class city.
Outdoor enthusiasts will marvel at four state and county parks, enabling activities for all ages in Beaver County. In winter, options include cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. Summer offers a range of essentials, including swimming, boating, and fishing. Collectively, parks offer hiking, jogging, and bridle trails, ballfields, tennis courts, picnic areas, shelters, camping, and acres of beautiful, secluded areas. Golfers rarely have to wait at any of the seven public courses, which are both fun and challenging for beginners and avid players alike.
Culture and history also play a significant role in the county's visitors' experience. Old Economy Village in Ambridge was the definitive residence of the Harmony Society. It is a national historic landmark, where interpreters wearing Harmonist dress take visitors through the seventeen original buildings and view over 16,000 landmarks. With over 200 paintings from the American Hudson River School and the European Romantic Period, the Merrick Art Gallery is a must-visit location in New Brighton.
With water transportation provided by the Ohio River, heavy industry, including steel mills and processing plants, is located in the valley. River traffic increased tremendously from the coal and steel shipped on it, aided by a series of locks and dams, five of which were built in Beaver County.
Atomic energy made its mark on the county in 1955 when the first peacetime nuclear power plant was built in Shippingport, on the Ohio River, whose waters were needed to cool the reactor.
Today, the rivers play a different role. The era of heavy industry is a memory of the past. People are taking and enjoying more leisure time activities, and they now look to the rivers for recreation. New docks on the Beaver River and water skiing on the Ohio now allow the rivers to play a different role in people's lives. With pollution a thing of the past, fish have returned to the waterways, providing additional recreational opportunities.
Beaver County is not the same place many people used to envision. Just as Pittsburgh has transformed itself from the stereotypical "smoky city" it once was, it is no longer just a series of mill towns. Proud of its history and culture, yet forward-moving in the vision for the future in business and recreation expansion.
The sights and events in the county are unlike any in the surrounding areas. But to truly experience the feel of the fairs and festivals, the beauty of the parks, the excitement of the attractions and recreation, and the history of the museums and sites.
Museums
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 the second oldest museum (founded in 1948) in the county.
Known as one of the best local history museums in America, Beaver Area Heritage Museum features important exhibits on the people, events, and objects that have shaped the Beaver area. It is housed in a renovated, about 100-year-old railroad freight station and a 200-year-old log house.
Vicary Mansion
The Vicary Mansion is named after its owner and builder, Philadelphia sea captain William Vicary, who began construction of his mansion in 1826 and finally completed it three years later in 1829.
One of Western Pennsylvania's leading cultural centers, the Merrick is home to a stunning collection of French, German, English, and American paintings from the 18th and 19th Century.
McCarl Industrial & Agricultural Museum of Beaver County offers displays that demonstrate the history and development of manufacturing in the County. A forge demonstrates some of the basics of manufacturing.
Built in 1802, Greersburg Academy is the oldest public building in Beaver County and the oldest advanced education institution North of the Ohio River.
The birthplace of the Seamless Tube Industry, named after the inventor of barbed wire, Isaac Ellwood, and developed by the Beaver Falls wire manufacturer, Henry Hartman.
The South Side Historical Village is located in Greene Township at the Hookstown Fairgrounds in Hookstown. It is an interpretation of Early American life in the South Side region of Beaver County.
Established in 1985, the Monaca Community Hall of Fame features over 100 plaques honoring individuals who have made significant contributions to the community or the country in various fields, including civic accomplishments, fraternal organizations, sports, and professional endeavors.
Organizations
Incorporated on February 22, 1988, the Ellwood City Area Historical Society is dedicated to preserving and promoting the rich history of our community.
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 South Side Historical Village Association is dedicated to preserving and interpreting the history of Early American life in the South Side of Beaver County, Pennsylvania.
The hands were gentle but firm as they grasped my lapel. It was 1967, and the voice was strong and insistent: "You people don't realize what you have here. I studied hard to earn my U.S.