Economic developers, political scientists, administrators in higher education, engineers, lovers of architecture and energy experts should visit Greensburg, Pennsylvania.
Off the PA Turnpike, it's a testament to survival - despite the collapse of the coal industry, lousy weather, being in the shadow of Pittsburgh and the insularities of small-town life. An achievement not to be ignored: The town has maintained a newspaper. That's the Tribune-Review. It's even located right in town.
In addition, nearby for side trips are Latrobe, where the Benedictine Monastery is based, and Ligonier, where the folks with the "real money" live in extreme privacy.
Yes, there is great skiing in the area.
The mountains are visually captivating. The tunnels through those hills are engineering feats.
And you can tour two Amish communities. But right in Greensburg, you can shop for Amish furniture.
Pittsburgh has a world class art museum
Unlike nearby Youngstown, Ohio, Greensburg shook off its past. Not as comprehensively as had Pittsburgh, but good enough to keep two universities operating and the downtown from being torn down and converted into condos. The ambitious young, who remain in town, frequently do the tough 32-mile commute to Pittsburgh. There the jobs are in healthcare, technology and higher education.
Like all small towns in areas walled in by bitter winters, it seems to have a history dominated by a handful of families.
Those include the large Roman Catholic brood headed by politico James R. Kelley. He made it to state senator, then as a judge of PA Commonwealth Court. As the still-running soap operas depict, in those kinds of tiny communities (population about 15,000) networks are everything.
In Kelley's web of relationships had been Art Boyle, a successful businessman with an even larger family. Boyle's wife and the mother of his seven children Joanne wound up the longest serving president of Seton Hill University.
Joanne likely saved that minor player, which had been a women's Catholic college, from collapsing. She orchestrated pivots to coed and a university with a football team. She also had the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine bunk there. That added 200 more students on campus and adding to the town's finances.
At one time, the managing partner from elite law firm Jones Day - Mickey Pohl - chaired Seton Hill's board. Pohl's legacy will probably be winning the Rhode Island public nuisance class action lead paint trial for client Sherwin-Williams.
I was able to tour the Sisters of Charity extensive graveyard at Seton Hill, without intervention by security. Since Seton Hill dates back to 1918, there is plenty of history recorded on the headstones. The campus architecture is a mix of early 20th century and just-in-time 21st century.
Both Kelley and Boyle now are in their late 80s and the wives of both had died. But their ethos is still palpable. For instance, both have sons who are lawyers in the region. Lawyering is a contact sport so the small-town unique kinds of networking continue.
The must-experiences for tourism include:
The Palace Theater
Westmoreland Museum of American Art
Historical Hanna's Town
Saint Hanna's Town
Saint Clair Park
Lynch Field Park
Westmoreland County Courthouse
All Saints Brewing Company
14th Quartermaster Memorial.
Where to stay overnight?
The best deals are through making reservations with discounting companies via the internet. Here is an example.
At the low end of pricing are New Stanton's Motel 6, Super 8 and Days Inn. In Pittsburgh/Monroeville is a Super 8. In Greensburg there is the Knights' Inn.
Is the Greensburg progress sustainable? The 2021 Polar Vortex can be the tipping point for a diaspora from the Pittsburgh Metro Area. Already for seven years, Pittsburgh has been hit with population loss. One trigger for relocation is the higher than average cost of utilities (heat, water, electricity, garbage). According to Numbeo that is $171.52 versus $152.11. Just about everywhere this fall/winter energy bills are hard on budgets.
Perhaps the tourism nudge should be: Experience Greensburg before it contracts into a town frozen (literally) in time.
Jane Genova helps travelers feel like an insider, all the way around the globe. Contact her for assignments janegenova374@gmail.com.
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