West Overton, Pennsylvania

West Overton is located approximately 40 miles (64 km) southeast of Pittsburgh, in East Huntingdon Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is on PA 819 between the towns of Mount Pleasant and Scottdale. Its latitude is 40.117N and its longitude is -79.564W.

West Overton Historic District
Christian S. Overholt Store and House, HABS Photo, Summer 1990
West Overton, Pennsylvania is located in Pennsylvania
West Overton, Pennsylvania
West Overton, Pennsylvania is located in the United States
West Overton, Pennsylvania
LocationFrick Ave., East Huntingdon Township, Pennsylvania
Coordinates40°06′59″N 79°33′59″W
Area12 acres (4.9 ha)
Built1850
Built byAbraham Overholt
Architectural styleGreek Revival, Vernacular Greek Revival
NRHP reference No.85001572[1]
Added to NRHPJuly 18, 1985

It has long been known as the birthplace of Henry Clay Frick, the industrialist and art collector, and the original site of distillery of his great-grandfather Henry Overholt and grandfather Abraham Overholt, the namesake of Old Overholt rye whiskey.[2]

West Overton Village was established in 1800 by German Mennonites from Bucks County, who were led by Henry Overholt. Today it operates as a museum complex and is an example of a 19th-century rural industrial village. It is the only pre-American Civil War village still intact in Pennsylvania.

The museum has undergone a complete renovation and will focus on the Overholt industries of whiskey distillation, grist milling and coal and coke operations. The museum was scheduled to reopen for tours in August 2012 with the Overholt Homestead to reopen in June 2013.

West Overton Historic District

West Overton Historic District is a national historic district located at East Huntingdon Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. It encompasses 19 contributing buildings in the village of West Overton. They are a collection of mid-19th century buildings in a vernacular Greek Revival style. It includes the Christian S. Overholt Store and House, Abraham Overholt Homestead (1838), and Overholt Mill (1859). The springhouse of the Abraham Overholt Homestead is the birthplace of Henry Clay Frick (1849-1919).[3]

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.[1]

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "American Whiskey".
  3. "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania" (Searchable database). CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System. Note: This includes Christina Schmidlapp (January 1985). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: West Overton Historic District" (PDF). Retrieved June 10, 2012.

All of the following Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) records are filed under West Overton, Westmoreland County, PA:

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