September Meeting: Tour of Old Economy Village

Saturday, September 17, 2022
270 16th Street
Ambridge, PA 15003

Meeting Agenda

Meeting Date: September 17, 2022

Meeting Start Time: 9:30 AM

Meeting End Time: 12:00 PM

September 17, 2022

Old Economy Village, 270 16th St., Ambridge, PA 15003

(Because of the remote location, no virtual meeting will be available.)

Tour starts at 10 AM sharp; please be a bit early.

For our September 17 meeting (the third Saturday of the month) we will be having a field trip to Old Economy Village in Ambridge, which is a historic settlement of the Harmony Society; for additional information, please visit their website, OldEconomyVillage.org.  For our field trip, an expert will lead us on a private tour to show and discuss the features and history of the 19th-century hand tools on display at the tool shop. This will be combined with a tour focused on the furniture in the site’s other various buildings. The entire tour of the tool shop and furniture will last approximately 90 minutes, but you are free to roam the grounds on your own after the conclusion of our tour. The entrance admission has been discounted slightly to $9.00 per person and will be paid for by the WPW for all paid-up WPW members.  If you would like to bring a guest(s), you’re welcome to do so, but we ask that you pay for their admission.  

If you haven’t responded to the poll but would like to attend, please call Bill directly ASAP so he can increase our count to our hosts at Old Economy Village (if possible).

For those attending, please note that the Visitors Center is currently closed for renovations.  You may still park there and walk a short distance to Feast Hall where our tour will begin; If you do park there a sign will direct you to Feast Hall. Alternatively, you may park nearer to Feast Hall at 1401 Church St, where on-street parking should be available.

As a bonus, but not an “official” part of the field trip, attendees will have the opportunity to visit Hamilton Tools in Beaver Falls, which is a 20-minute drive from Old Economy Village.  Many of our members are probably already aware of Hamilton Tool’s 40-year history, but their website does a nice job of explaining its history and offerings: ToolSupermarket.com.  Normally, their warehouse building closes at noon on Saturdays, but Fred Hamilton Jr has just told us that Hamilton Tool will be having a “customer appreciation” day on Saturday, with some grilled food, refreshments, more Oram’s donuts, and access to both the main “historic” building where the old/used tools are located, as well as the “warehouse” building where new power equipment is on display. So that you can keep your expectations in check, it’s fair to say that the old/used tools are displayed in a somewhat chaotic fashion, with narrow aisles and less-than-ideal lighting.  If you’re a little unstable in your walking, you should probably not attend this side trip.