Historical Flashback: Bethel Park Schoolhouse Arts and History Center
A 1953 image of the students of Bethel Grade School standing on the front steps of the building.
Bethel Township High School was built in 1905 as a three-room schoolhouse. The entrance faced what is now known as Park Avenue, the cross street is what is now known as South Park Road.
In 1917, a large addition was built and the front entrance was changed to South Park Road. Monies were provided by the Smith-Hughes Act of Congress. This act stated that any municipality that would teach vocational training would receive monies from the federal government. The school then became known as Bethel Vocational School.
A 1934 image of the school. An elementary school was built in 1921 behind this building (the building to the left in the background). In 1934, the two schools swapped and this became Bethel Grade School.
This undated photo shows students taking a hayride with the school in the background.
Bethel Park’s Schoolhouse Arts and History Center boasts an address of 2600 South Park Road, and is currently owned and operated by the Bethel Park Historical Society, which is a non-profit organization completely run by volunteers. According to Bill Haberthur, who sits on the society’s board of directors and serves as secretary, “Our goal is to renovate the 1905/1917 school and turn it into a Cultural Center for the community. We have a $1 million dollar Capital Campaign to achieve this undertaking.” The organization also has a Coal Miners Museum that recognizes coal miners from the Coverdale and Mollenauer mines, and a Military Museum that honors local veterans. Haberthur says that the organization is establishing a repository for the history of Bethel Park and that the space is being used as a venue for private parties and events. The photos on this page show the building’s evolution over the years. For more information, visit the Facebook page of Bethel Park Historical Society or email historicalsocietybp@gmail.com.