Peters Township Library takes historical road trip down Route 19
Submitted
Chef’s Restaurant, circa 1951, later became the second location of Hollywood Restaurant. The Hollywood Bar BQ, which closed Feb. 22, 1979, was the original gathering place in Peters Township. The restaurant was originally at the corner of West McMurray Road and Route 19 – current site of CVS Pharmacy – before moving across the street and a few doors to the north on Route 19 in the mid-1950s.
Courtesy of Carrie Weaver
This display based on the library’s research into the history of Route 19 is on display in the building’s lobby.
Courtesy of the Lybarger family papers, PTPL archives
The McDowell barn is shown in 1972. This farmland was eventually turned into McDowell Square.
Courtesy of the Lybarger family papers, PTPL archives
Route 19 near its intersection with West McMurray Road in 1967
Submitted photo
The Hollywood Bar BQ, shown here in 1977, closed Feb. 22, 1979, and was the original gathering place in Peters Township.
Peters Township Public Library took a virtual trip through the history of Route 19 and the commercial development it brought to Peters Township.
Last month, Margaret Deitzer, who focuses on researching local history for the library, and Carrie Weaver hosted an installment of the library’s “Stories from the Archives” series over Zoom. They detailed the local history of the 1,400-mile stretch of highway that extends from Erie to Memphis, Fla.
Former township residents from as far as Texas were among the 100 or so participants in the virtual presentation.
“When Margaret and I discussed our next topic for this series, we had no idea of the twists and turns and excitement and drama that we would uncover in our several weeks of research,” Weaver, the library’s public relations coordinator, said at the start of the program.
They started with a collection of newspaper clippings from early 1927 that announced Route 19 would pass right through Washington and Greene counties.
“This decision was a huge boon for the villages of McMurray and Canonsburg, with service stations and barbecue restaurants opening to handle the tourist traffic headed toward the area,” Weaver said.
Among the long-gone landmarks was the Hollywood Bar BQ, the original gathering place in Peters Township. The restaurant originally was at the corner of West McMurray Road and Route 19, at the current site of the CVS Pharmacy, before moving across the street and a few doors to the north on Route 19 in the mid-1950s. The closing of the Hollywood on Feb. 22, 1979, was seen as a passing of history at Donaldsons Crossroads.
From there, they moved along Peters Township’s portion of Route 19 from north to south, with an abundance of photos showing the various stages of development.
Deitzer and Weaver compiled the information by digging through the library archives.
A recurring theme of the presentation was the transformation of farmland into a busy highway. One picture showed the McDowell barn as it stood in 1972. Today, that area is home to McDowell Square shopping plaza.
“The McDowell farm raised sheep on a hundred acres of land on Route 19. This was the last remaining large farm on Route 19 to be developed,” Deitzer said.
The library will make this edition of “Stories from the Archives” available on its YouTube channel for those who could not watch live. There is also a display on the history of Route 19 in the library lobby.
“This series chronicles the transition of a farming and mining community to the suburban community of today. We enjoy hearing from those who cherish the great memories from their earlier years in Peters Township. We are also pleased that several newcomers to Peters Township appreciate learning about the history of the township they now call home,” Deitzer said.