Community Character

The Heritage Foundation has played an important advisory role in many influential civic beautification projects undertaken by the Borough of Beaver. They include:

Streetscape – a full-scale, $3 million restoration in 2002 of the town’s central business district. It involved removal of unsightly overhead wires and reconfiguration of the electrical power distribution system, plus all-new street lighting, new brick sidewalk paving, new traffic signals and new landscaping. These features were designed with sensitivity to the architectural character of the community. Funding was derived from three sources: a federally supported community development block grant, a budgeted short-term financing program by Beaver Borough, and by voluntary contributions from more than 100 local businesses, organizations and individuals.

Victorian Clock Tower – Played a consulting role with the new clock tower, dedicated in 2002, in the center of town. It’s a nearly exact replica of the tower that stood atop the 1877 Beaver County Courthouse. The new clock tower features a gracefully curved cupola sheathed in copper, with traditional Victorian trimmings, a classic example of the Renaissance style of the 1870s. It is based on old photographs and drawings of the original 1877 courthouse, which was destroyed by fire in 1932. The tower holds an electronic bell system that chimes the quarter hours and tolls each hour. It also holds a built-in carillon that can play music on special occasions. The original 2,200-lb. cast bronze bell is displayed in the base of the tower.

National Register Historic District – The Heritage Foundation was instrumental in arranging and conducting a local historical survey which led to the 1996 designation of the town as a National Register Historic District.