A collection of ornate shaving mugs from an old barbershop sits on shelving behind glass. There are names painted on each one, and they read like a Who's Who of Leechburg's past: Sober, Armstrong, Orr, Cline, Bash and Stitt. A price list posted nearby offers a haircut for 50 cents, a shave for 20 cents and a massage for 75 cents. It also lists something called a "singe."
"What's a singe?" I ask Nancy Nawrocki, who is momentarily stumped. She is curator of the Leechburg Area Museum and Historical Society, where these mugs and other marvelous memorabilia are on display year-round in the old David Leech house on 118 First Street in Leechburg.
Established in 1976, the museum houses an ever-growing collection of books, clothing, furniture and pictures. The library, located on the second floor, chronicles local obituaries from 1910 and Leechburg family histories. Archived copies of the Leechburg Advance dating back to 1889 are preserved on microfilm and are available to the public for research. My husband, who is a native, begins perusing old copies of the Minetas, the Leechburg High School yearbook as I happily wander around.
Being here is like exploring your grandma's attic, except it's organized into rooms of various themes. Returning to the barber/beauty shop stuff, I am drawn to an old hand-held hair-dryer, circa 1950s. Weighing at least five pounds, it is awkward and unwieldy and looks like it could shoot flames. I handle a pair of well-worn, stove-heated curling tongs and I notice that they are ominously black. I can see why most women stuck with the roller set in those days.
In the adjacent room, there is a table set up from the old restaurant, Pete's Place. I remember that my mother-in law used to work there. Back in the 1940s, it was a thriving establishment with a well-heeled clientele from all over the area. A menu on the table lists a T-bone steak for $1, broiled lobster for $1.50, a Martini for 40 cents and a Schlitz on draft for 10 cents. Nearby, a movie poster from the Penn Palace Theatre advertises "It Happened in Brooklyn," starring Frank Sinatra and Jimmy Durante. Tickets are 25 cents and 45 cents.
On the opposite wall hangs one of the green uniforms worn by the ladies who worked at the Schenley Distillery and Bottling Company. In one corner, rests the original Allegheny Ludlum change of shift whistle and in another corner, the late Dr. Fraley's old examination table, black bag and other paraphernalia from his office in town. The museum has the last wooden handle made by the Leechburg Shovel Works, which provided shovels for the digging of the Panama Canal.
Another room showcases the work of local artists such as Logan Ashbaugh, Rev. Good and Margaret Slonaker. The music room features a 1949 television, radio and turntable unit. Upstairs across from the library is the veteran's room with uniforms, pictures and memorabilia from World War I, World War II and the Korean War. Dolls and toys are on exhibit in the children's room and across the hall vintage fashions are on display.
The historical society also hosts vintage fashion shows on a regular basis as well as walking tours, house and garden tours and Christmas benefits. My favorite is the Tree of Tribute, which is a Christmas tradition that honors those who have passed away. Colored lights are strung on a tree outside the museum. For a donation of $5, a colored light is replaced by a white one, representing a loved one. As the season progresses, the tree's lighting turns from colored to white.
In the Leechburg Museum's gift shop you can purchase t-shirts, sweatshirts, note cards, videos and cookbooks. Museum hours are Wednesday and Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m., or call for an appointment, 724-845-8914.
Linda Fondrk of Gilpin is a community columnist for the Valley News Dispatch.
