The Heritage Foundation History

The Heritage Foundation Looks at Its Own History

With the grand opening of the Beaver Area Historical Museum on May 30, 1998 the Beaver Area Heritage Foundation put the crown on a long list of major efforts that have combined to make this one of the best small towns in all of Pennsylvania.

The list began with the archaeological dig at Fort McIntosh in 1974, and was followed by the dedication ceremonies of the restored site in 1978, with General William Westmoreland as honored guest.

In 1984, the Foundation hosted the 200th Anniversary of the founding of the modern U.S. Army resulting from the formation of the First American Regiment at Fort McIntosh in 1784 ' with the present Old Guard Regiment as honored participants.

Coupled with this was the opening of the small museum in the Beaver Area Memorial Library displaying the artifacts and story of Fort McIntosh and its place in history.

Early in the 1980s the Foundation initiated Garrison Day, the annual craft fair in the park that has since become a major tri-state attraction for thousands and an important fund raiser for our organization.

At about the same time, the Foundation began the program of annually recognizing the efforts of area citizens in the preservation, beautification and restoration of historic homes and buildings. The results of this initiative are becoming more and more evident with each passing year as people have begun to appreciate the real value of historic preservation.

With the disbanding of the Beaver American Legion Post in the late 1980's, the Foundation took over the handling of the annual Memorial Day parade and observance. This event has continued to grow each year with a steadily increasing level of interest and participation.

One of the spinoffs of this responsibility was the formation of the Fort McIntosh Fife & Drum Corps. This group of junior high school children - now more than two dozen in number - has captured the fancy of the community with their bright 18th Century uniforms and their spirited and historically authentic colonial music.

For at least 25 years, the Foundation has sponsored a patriotic July 4th observance. This began as a historical walking tour of various local points of interest, but has since developed into a patriotic pageant in the park each year, attended by hundreds, complete with music and first-person historical presentations.

1992 saw the placement of new permanent stone and bronze historical markers at the Fort McIntosh site, made possible by the gifts of two public-spirited benefactors.

In 1995, the Foundation joined with the Borough of Beaver to seek National Register Historical District status for the community, and this was accomplished in 1996, making Beaver indeed "someplace special".

Throughout all these years, the Foundation has regularly added to the wealth of historical information about the area with the production of various booklets and publications, including the FOUNDATIONS newsletter, which received the top award of the Pennsylvania Federation of Museums in 1989.

The culmination of all these community efforts occurred in 1998 with the opening of the Beaver Area Historical Museum. The museum combines the restoration and adaptive reuse of a landmark building, while for the first time making possible a presentation of the remarkable history of the people, places and events that comprise the history of this area.

Since its opening on May 30th, the museum has hosted over 5,000 patrons, including several school groups and visitors from every part of the United States. From the beginning, this project has been distinguished by the exceptional level of financial support and the ext-raordinary talents and donated services of dozens of volunteers. The Museum is complete in all respects and is fully paid for, a tribute to those who gave so much and worked so hard to make it a reality.

The Museum has been nominated for possible recognition in the 1999 competition sponsored by the Pennsylvania Federation of Museums. Award winners are to be announced by the end of March, and the Pennsylvania winner may also be nominated for national recognition later in the year. Stay tuned!