also known
as:
Newtown,
later named after Continental Army Maj. Gen.
Nathanael Greene in the American Revolutionary War
40°18'16"
N / 79°32'40" W
~ Introduction ~
( Click the arrow in the buttons below for pronunciation. )
Greensburg
is located in Westmoreland County, in
southwest Pennsylvania (PA) and
geographically about 30 miles southeast of
Pittsburgh, PA,
about 25 miles northeast of Monessen, PA and
about 38 miles northeast of Uniontown, PA.
Sources:
landsat.com
Wikipedia
worldmapsonline.com
~ History ~
At the
foothills of the Appalachian Mountains,
located in the beautiful Laurel Highlands,
is the City of Greensburg.
[ click image to
enlarge it. ]
Birds Eye
View of Greensburg
Postcard:
Photographer unknown
After
the end of the Revolutionary War, an inn was
built along a wagon trail that stretched
from Philadelphia west over the Appalachian
Mountains to Fort Pitt, now the city of
Pittsburgh.
A
tiny settlement known as Newtown grew around
the inn, today the center of Greensburg's
Business District at the intersection of
Pittsburgh and Main Streets.
In 1782, a raid by Guyasuta-led Seneca
Indians (pictured), accompanied by Canadian
rangers, burned Hannastown, the original
Westmoreland County seat north of Greensburg
and the first county seat west of the
Appalachian Mountains.
Newtown
became the new county seat in 1785. In 1786,
the county built a log courthouse on land
purchased from two residents, Christopher
TRUBY and William JACK.
The area surrounding the courthouse became
the original borough of Greensburg, named
for American Revolutionary War Major General
Nathanael GREENE (pictured).
Greensburg was formally incorporated as a
borough in 1799.
The
Westmoreland County Courthouse (pictured),
in its various incarnations, has stood on
this site.
What began as a log structure changed to
brick and now is now a four story landmark
with a central dome in the Italian
Renaissance style. The current courthouse is
one of only two in the world designed by
William KAUFFMAN. The first court held in
Greensburg was on 7 January 1787.
Judge David H. Weiss (pictured) was the only
Jewish Judge in Westmoreland County and a
Judge in the Court of Common Pleas.
In the early 19th century, Greensburg
continued to grow slowly and steadily until
1850 when an economic boom was created by
the convergence of coal and the railroad
which made it grow with inns, businesses,
and an exploding population. One main draw
was the location of the railroad stop.
Of note,
James BUCHANAN, Pensylvania's only President
of the United States (1857-1861), visited
Greensburg often because his sister was
married to a local pastor.
In
1879, Wolf DANIELS came from Europe to this
country and was the first Jew to settle in
Greensburg. By 1890, ten Jewish families
lived in Greensburg.
The economic boom created by coal and
Greensburg's retail industry convinced the
Pennsylvania Railroad to build the train
station at Greensburg.
The railroad commissioned architect William
COOKMAN to design the new station (pictured)
and on 2 August 1911, it was opened to the
public. The station was heavily used until
the 1940s when it began to decline, due to
the rise in use of automobiles.
Greensburg,
at this time, was in the heart of the very
rich coal region and abundant natural gas
resources. Pictured is the deepest natural
gas well in the world nearby Greensburg.
Coal is mined and exported in vast
quantities and coke is produced in such
events as such a vast scale has become one
of the most important industries of the
area. Natural gas is very abundant and is
quite a source of revenue for the city.
Coal, natural gas and coke are by no means
the limit of the resources of this thriving
city. Flour Mills, glass plants, lumber
mills, bolt and nut factories, furniture
factories, and many others, are to be found
in this region that has many advantages for
such plants.
This very abundant natural gas and coal
makes the operation of manufacturing plants
in the Greensburg district at much less than
the usual cost elsewhere and it has
excellent transportation facilities which
enable the factories ship their output of
the East and West, at a very reasonable
cost.
By the 1900s Greensburg began to absorb many
of the smaller boroughs that surrounded it,
including Bunker Hill in 1894 and Ludwick,
East Greensburg, and Southeast Greensburg in
1905. After World War II, more residential
areas were developed in various sections of
town and Greensburg's cultural status grew.
In 1917, Greensburg had an excellent city
administration, three newspapers that have a
wide circulation and wide influence
throughout the country. It has 17 religious
institutions that meet the spiritual needs
of every member of the city, regardless of
their religious affiliation.
It
has several banks of unusual size and
strength for community of that size. It has
a splendid educational facilities and YMCA
(pictured) and other institutions that are
part and parcel of every well-organized
municipality that is inhabited by a
progressive citizenship.
There are many important retail stores in
the city, an the owners are active in those
co-operative measures that look to the
promotion of the city. Clean and well-kept
streets is a point of interest to many
out-of-town folks who have had some
experience with other Pennsylvania towns.
Greensburg gives the opportunity to make big
strides in manufacturing because it has the
facilities, natural resources and the
enterprise to advance it rapidly among the
larger cities of the state.
Greensburg
became a Third-Class City on 2 January 1928.
Seton Hill College (pictured), formerly St.
Joseph's Academy, became a four-year women's
institution in 1918.
The Westmoreland County Museum of Art opened
in 1959.
The University of Pittsburgh founded its
branch campus at Greensburg, in 1963, now
located in Hempfield Township.
The
opening of Greengate Mall and Westmoreland
Mall in 1965 and 1977, respectively, marked
a new era for retail shopping in the area,
but negatively impacted retail businesses in
Downtown Greensburg's shopping district.
Changes in local shopping habits had already
taken its toll by the late 1970s when
Troutman's Department Store (pictured)
closed.
By the mid-1990s, city officials shifted its
revitalization plans on the cultural aspects
of Downtown Greensburg, such as the
restorations of the Palace Theater and the
historic Train Station, as well as a new,
recently opened performing arts center for
Seton Hill University.
In July of 2009, Lake Erie College of
Osteopathic Medicine, the largest medical
school in the country, opened a satellite
campus at Seton Hill University. Now over
200 students study at LECOM at Seton Hill
every year. As part of this ongoing
transition, an expansion of the Westmoreland
Museum of American Art is planned.
Today, Greensburg is a still a small city
with about 15,889 inhabitants (2000) and is
approximately 20 miles in perimeter with
40.4 miles of city streets and 7.90 miles of
state highways.
Popular
tourist attractions in and around Greensburg
include the Greensburg Garden and Civic
Center, Greensburg Hempfield Area Library,
Kirk S. Nevin Ice Arena, Lynch Field, Old
Hanna's Town, Palace Theater, Performing
Arts Center of Seton Hill University,
Robertshaw Amphitheater, St. Clair Park,
Seton Hill University, The Train Station,
Twin Lakes Park, University of Pittsburgh at
Greensburg, Westmoreland County Courthouse,
Westmoreland Fairgrounds, Westmoreland Mall
and Westmoreland Museum of American Art.
Jeannette's
Chevra Sholom congregation was
absorbed into the B'nai Israel
congregation in 1967, then the B'nai
Israel and Temple Emanu-El
merged into what is now, Congregation Emanu-El
Israel, in 1981. Congregation Emanu-El
Israel is active with ?? members. ??
Jewish families live within the city limits
of Greensburg today. (2012)
(Click the images
below to view a larger image.)
Notable citizens
(listed alphabetically):
James
CLARKE, (b. Greensburg, 15
July 1812) was the third Governor of
Iowa Territory 18 November
1845&mash;3 December 1846,
appointed by President James Polk.
He was a printer by trade moving to
Belmont, the new capital of the
Wisconsin Territorywhen in 1836. He
was secretary of Iowa Territory from
1839-1841 and mayor of Burlington,
Iowa from 1844-1845. Clarke County,
Iowa was named after him. Next he
moved to the new territorial capital
in Burlington (now Iowa) and founded
the Wisconsin Territorial Gazette
and Burlington Advertiser on July
10, 1837. When the Iowa Territory
was established, President Van Buren
appointed Clarke "Secretary in and
for the Territory of Iowa," shown in
two of the donated documents, dated
27 November 1839 and 19 February
1840. He played a pivotal role in
the development of Iowa, and as
governor in December 1846, Iowa
became the 29th state to join the
union. In Burlington, he resumed
work as a newspaper editor and then
the first president of the
Burlington School Board, active in
local political affairs. In July
1850, his wife and infant son
succumbed to a cholera epidemic and
just two weeks later, Clarke, just
38, also died of cholera. The
Clarkes are buried in Aspen Grove
Cemetery, Burlington.
Brett
DETAR, (b. Greensburg, 30
April 1978) is an American singer,
musician, and producer best known as
lead singer of the now defunct rock
band The Juliana Theory and as
former guitarist/bassist for
metalcore band Zao. Currently works
as a producer at his own studio,
Soho Taxidermy, in Manhattan, New
York.
On 9 November 2010, Detar released
his debut solo and distributed it
for free on his web site.
Before his music career, Detar
worked on a farm while growing up.
He also worked at Carmike Cinemas in
Greensburg. Detar enjoys ice hockey
and played the sport growing up.
Greg
JONES (b. Greensburg, 10
August 1982), is one of the most
successful American collegiate
wrestlers of all-time. At West
Virginia University, Jones won three
NCAA Division I wrestling titles -
one of only 39 wrestlers to
accomplish that feat in the
tournament's 75-year history.
Shortly after his 5-3 decision of
Cornell's Tyler Baier in the 184
pound finals, Jones was named the
2005 tournament's Most Outstanding
Wrestler. In addition to his title
in 2005, Jones won the 184 pound
title in 2004 and the 174 pound
title as a freshman in 2002.
Jones won the PIAA championship as a
member of the Greensburg-Salem
Golden Lions wrestling team and was
a two-time state champion. Greg went
on to win three national
championships as a member of the
West Virginia University
Mountaineers. He set his high
school's record for career wins.
Sheila
KELLEY (b. Greensburg, 9
October 1961), is an American
television actress. She is best
known for her roles as Gwen Taylor
on L.A. Law and as Dr. Charlotte
"Charley" Bennett Hayes on Sisters.
Kelley studied ballet at a young age
and matriculated into New York
University's Tisch School of Arts.
On advice of doctors worried about
the consequences of rigorous dance
training on her hips, she redirected
her studies to film directing and
acting. She Michael Howard and was
encouraged to pursue her passion for
acting by her high school principal,
Dr. George VOLLRATH, and ultimately
moved to California in order to
advance her career. Her acting
career started in the 1980s in
television, with her first credited
TV role in 1987. She played the
character Gwen Taylor in the legal
drama L.A. Law from 1990-1993. Most
of her work has been in guest roles
on American TV series, although she
notably played a stripper and
performed a seductive dance routine
onscreen in the 2000 feature film, Dancing
at the Blue Iguana and was
cast in a recurring role on season
six of Lost, playing Zoe. She
pioneered a new feminine movement
called "S Factor," a Pole Dancing
Workout.
Peggy
KING, (b. Greensburg, 16
February 1930) is a pop singer and
former TV personality.
She is best remembered as the female
vocalist on The George Gobel Show.
She also appeared in American
Bandstand, Maverick, The Tonight
Show starring Johnny Carson and The
Jack Benny Show.
She portrayed the stewardess Janet
Turner in the film, Zero Hour!,
which became the basis for the
disaster spoof, Airplane!
Victor
Joseph "Vic" MIGNOGNA (b.
Greensburg, ____),is an American
Anime Award winning voice actor and
musician primarily known for his
work for ADV Films, Funimation
Entertainment, and Viz Media. He has
provided numerous voices for
Japanese anime films and television
series as well as video games. He
graduated from Liberty University
with a degree in television and film
production and also helped produce
and arrange some of the songs on DC
Talk's eponymous first album. He
held various jobs early in his
career, including a Drama and Speech
teacher in Jacksonville, Florida,
and an officer with the Ocean City
Police Department.Mignogna moved to
Houston, Texas in 1990, and was a
film and video production instructor
at the Art Institute of Houston. In
2007, the American Anime Awards
presented Mignogna an award for Best
Actor for his work in Fullmetal
Alchemist. In addition to voice
acting, Mignogna has been involved
in music and sound production,and
also video production. He was also a
worship leader with Houston's First
Baptist Church.
Bruce
WEBER (b. Greensburg, 29 March
1946), is an American fashion
photographer and occasional
filmmaker. Widely known for his
Calvin Klein ad campaigns for Ralph
Lauren, Pirelli, Abercrombie &
Fitch, Revlon, and Gianni Versace,
as well as his work for Vogue, GQ,
Vanity Fair, Elle, Life, Interview,
and Rolling Stone magazines. His
fashion photography first appeared
in the late 1970s in GQ magazine,
with frequent cover photos and he
shot the 1978 Bloomingdales mail
catalog. He rose to prominence in
the late 1980s and early 1990s with
his advertising images for Calvin
Klein. His straightforward black and
white shots, featuring an unclothed
heterosexual couple on a swing
facing each other, two clothed men
in bed, and model Marcus
Schenkenberg barely holding jeans in
front of himself in a shower,
catapulted him into the national
spotlight. His photograph of Calvin
Klein of Olympic athlete Tom
Hintnaus in white briefs is an
iconic image and he photographed the
winter 2006 Ralph Lauren Collection.
After doing photo shoots for and of
famous individuals (many of whom
were featured in Andy Warhol's
Interview magazine), Bruce entered
the realm of filmmaking, making
short films of teenage boxers, Broken
Noses.
James
Charles WHITE, Jr., (b.
Greensburg, 6 April 1937) was an
American radio talk-show host on
KMOX, in St. Louis, Missouri.
Jim White began his radio career in
1953 (age 16) at radio station WHJB
(now WKHB in Irwin, Pennsylvania),
at studios then in his hometown
Greensburg, PA. After he graduated
from high-school in 1955, White
worked at station WDFM at Penn State
University. White also served in the
U.S. Army. In 1958, White worked at
stations WAKU in Latrobe,
Pennsylvania and at WMCK in
McKeesport, Pennsylvania. In 1959,
White moved up to work as a rock
jock at station WJAS, in downtown
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In
1966-1968, White worked at KDKA, the
largest radio station in Pittsburgh.
During 1969-1999, White worked for
30 years at radio station KMOX, St.
Louis, Missouri as a talk show host
- "The Big Bumper." He was also
program director, news director, and
program host. White retired 7 April
1999.
This
page is hosted at no cost to the
public by JewishGen, Inc., a
non-profit
corporation.
If you feel there is a benefit to
you in accessing this site,
your JewishGen-erosity
is appreciated.