Tri-City Historical Society to open 1st museum in downtown New Kensington

New Kensington’s history is out there, and James Sabulsky wants to bring it all together.

Sabulsky, president of the Tri-City Historical Society, hopes having a museum where people can see items from New Kensington’s past will help with gathering more of it.

The society, founded in 2019, is opening its first museum in a storefront beside Modfinish at 1013 Fifth Ave., which is across from Knead Community Cafe. It is owned by city Councilman Corey Pistininzi.

It will be open for the public to view the society’s collection during the next Fridays on Fifth, which will run from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday.

It’s the first time the society has had a place where its collection of artifacts can be displayed. It doesn’t have regular hours yet, but Sabulsky plans to have it open one or two days a week and during events.

“It’s nice to have a physical location,” Sabulsky said. “We’re still getting stuff up. It’s far enough along that people can come in.”

Contrary to its name, the society actually covers four communities: New Kensington, Arnold, Lower Burrell and Upper Burrell.

“Everything is so intertwined history-wise for this area,” Sabulsky said.

Among the society’s collection are historic newspaper clippings and some entire front pages from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including a front page of the Kensington Dispatch from 1891.

“It’s just neat being able to read the 1891 stories,” Sabulsky said.

There also are photos, history books and school yearbooks. There is a “survivor brick” from Ken-Hi, which was built in 1913 and demolished in 2001, and a 1917 diploma from the high school.

A large New Kensington city seal came to the society from out of storage in a city garage.

“We got a decent little collection so far that I hope is going to keep growing from here,” Sabulsky said.

Amberlee Bozic of Vandergrift is a member of the society and has been helping to set up the museum.

She gained an appreciation for history from growing up in a restored log cabin. She joined the society a little over a year ago after her history instructor at Westmoreland County Community College in New Kensington asked if she would be interested.

“I think it’s great,” she said of the museum. “We’re fortunate that Corey let us use that space. It’s a great space. Since it’s right there where they’re doing Fridays on Fifth, more people are going to know about us.”

Bozic has made some of the collages of newspaper clippings.

“Being able to see through the years from the late 1800s to the present day, it’s just incredible to see the change,” she said.

A standout in the collection, Sabulsky said, is a hand-built model of the Liberty Theater, which stood on Fifth Avenue at Eighth Street before it was demolished around 1997. The roof on the model can be removed, showing the seats inside.

A piece of the actual theater, a corner of its facade, is in the collection.

Sabulsky said people are starting to ship donations to the society from out of state. They have included pictures of the Parnassus area during the 1936 St. Patrick’s Day flood that came from North Carolina, and a collection of mid-1900s picture postcards showing Fourth and Fifth avenues that came from a donor in Virginia.

“That’s the kind of stuff I’m hoping a physical location will help drum up,” he said. “There’s a lot out there. People are holding on to stuff.”

A history professor will be helping the society catalog its collection now that it is in one place.

New Kensington Mayor Tom Guzzo said the area is rich in history, from New Kensington being the “Aluminum City” as home to Alcoa and the birthplace of Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Eddie Adams, Kevlar inventor Stephanie Kwolek, and sports figures like Willie Thrower.

“This is great for the Tri-City Historical Society to expand and create an opportunity for more people to visit and learn about our history,” Guzzo said. “We fully support and are thrilled to have James and this group have this great opportunity to tell our story.”

Sabulsky anticipates the museum being at Modfinish for at least four to six months.

The society still is looking for a location for a permanent museum. The New Kensington Advanced Manufacturing Park, a historic site itself as Alcoa’s New Kensington Works from 1891 to 1971, is being considered, he said.

“Most cities and towns have a little museum,” Bozic said. “That would be great for us to be able to have.”