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A small park nestled between shops lining Main Street and the bustle of the Irwin Fire Department is more than just a place to stop and rest while exploring downtown Irwin.

At the center of what is now known as the Mayor Dan Rose Memorial Park sits a bell that once hung atop the Irwin Public School formerly located near the intersection of Sixth and Chestnut streets. The bell points to a time when Irwin and North Huntingdon operated their own schools before merging into Norwin in 1958.

Carl Huszar, president of the Norwin Historical Society, said the bell originally hung in the first Irwin School, which was dedicated in 1891.

It remained in that position for 40 years until the school was destroyed by a fire in 1931. Only the bell survived.

A new building, which became known as the Sixth Street School, opened in its place a year later.

At that time, a group of former students preserved the bell and had it mounted on a pedestal next to the new school, said Bob Cupp, member of the Norwin Historical Society.

The school was used to educate all Irwin students until a merger with North Huntingdon formed Norwin in 1958. After that, the building was used as an elementary school before it was closed in the late 1980s. It remained vacant and eventually was sold to Irwin Borough in 1995. Three years later, the building was razed.

The bell eventually was moved to its current location along Main Street, the property for which was acquired by the borough in 1970. When it opened, it was known as Bell Park.

The park was renamed in 2013 to recognize former Irwin Mayor Dan Rose, a decorated World War II veteran who spent 10 years on borough council before being elected mayor in 1986. After his death in 2015, the park was changed to its current name.

“This guy was a hero,” Cupp said. “He was a prisoner of war in World War II, and he was beloved by all so that’s why they named to park after him. He died in 2015, and at that point then they changed the name to memorial park. Dan Rose Memorial Park.”

Today the park is surrounded by shrubs, a black fence and benches. Inside, the bell sits atop a stand reading “Irwin Public School.” A pergola and seats sit to the right of the bell.

The land that once housed the Sixth Street Schools sits vacant. The Irwin fire department last year suggested they wanted to build a $1 million hall to house trucks, ambulances, a meeting room and possibly borough offices and police department at the site. Officials are still mulling possible future plans.

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