Building the Valley: Restoration gives historic Vandergrift structure new life as hair salon

Between the crumbling roof and buckling walls, the Anchor Building in Vandergrift looked like a goner late last year.

On Sept. 3, Julie Aiello moved her business there.

A chain of events started by Vandergrift Councilwoman Marilee Kessler brought the historic structure from the brink of demolition to becoming the new home of Studio 56.

When Kessler learned of the Westmoreland County Land Bank’s plans to clear the lot where Columbia and Washington avenues meet, she called its director, Brian Lawrence. Around the same time, she contacted Olde Towne Overhaul, a restoration group based in New Kensington.

“She called in desperation to see if there’s any way we could save this property,” said Michelle Thom, operations manager for Olde Towne Overhaul. “She won’t take credit for it, but she is the sole reason all of this happened.”

The Land Bank and Olde Towne Overhaul worked out an $8,000 sale shortly after.

Getting the building up to code ultimately cost around $300,000, according to Thom, including work to its gutters, floors, foundation, stairs and utilities. After all, the building is more than 100 years old.

Nobody involved in the sale or renovation could say much about the building’s history for certain. A Sanborn map from 1915, used for fire insurance purposes, shows that it used to be a grocery store.

Lawrence has a few theories about why there’s an anchor carved into the facade. He heard the developer might have been a former sailor. Either that, or it refers to the concept of an anchor store — a popular retailer meant to drive foot traffic to nearby businesses.

“In many ways, this place is both a figurative and literal anchor building,” Lawrence said.

Either way, Aiello, 43, of Parks Township said it’s the perfect space to take her business to the next level. The longtime hairdresser had worked at five other salons in the Alle-Kiski Valley before opening her own out of a trailer in Apollo in 2022. Except for a part-time assistant, she runs the business solo.

Studio 56 was named for its proximity to Route 56. Aiello decided to keep the name in an effort to retain clients, even if her business will be a little farther from its namesake road.

Aiello said she was determined to find a storefront in Vandergrift, where she often would accompany her grandmother to the salon growing up. Those moments kindled a love for cutting hair.

“It doesn’t feel like work to me,” said Aiello, who has a pair of scissors tattooed on her right arm. “It makes me feel good to make people feel good.”

On a recent Wednesday morning, she wore a striped pink, blue and yellow dress with a pair of pink Converse — almost perfectly matching the rainbow painted along the back wall.

Customers waiting for a haircut can choose between a green velvet chair and a mustard yellow bench as they soak in the decor, which includes a dream catcher and plenty of plants. Aiello said the interior reflects her “bohemian, hippie, care-free attitude.”

Studio 56, located at 189 Columbia Ave., is one of three hair salons on the street, along with Lydia Leigh’s Salon and Kelly’s Salon. Aiello said she doesn’t view these places as competition.

“There’s enough heads in this town for us all to be busy and get along,” Aiello said.

Jeanne Novicki of Vandergrift could be one of first clients at Studio 56. She knocked on the salon’s door after spotting signage from the sidewalk.

“I’m excited,” Novicki said. “I like to get everything as close to me as I can find it.”

Studio 56 will be open from 2 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays, 4 to 8 p.m. Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are preferred.

Aiello is planning a grand opening event for mid-September, with details to come.