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Blairsville  The original town was founded and laid out by James Campbell and Andrew Brown in 1811 along the planned route of the Huntingdon, Cambria and Indiana Turnpike. It was named Blairsville in honor of John Blair, President of the turnpike company. For a number of years, the town was oriented towards serving travelers on the turnpike. In 1829, the Pennsylvania Canal was completed between Pittsburgh and Blairsville, giving the town new importance. A period of rapid growth followed and continued for several years while Blairsville was the eastern terminus of the canal. In 1834, the Allegheny Portage Railroad was completed allowing canal boats to be lifted over the Allegheny Mountian; and growth slowed in Blairsville. Yet the town remained an important point along the canal until 1848 when the Pennsylvania Railroad mainline was completed between Johnstown and Pittsburgh. Traffic on the canal decreased steadily thereafter, and canal operations ended entirely in 1865. In 1851, a branch of the railroad was extended to Blairsville, and in the years which followed, tracks were built north to Indiana and went to Saltsburg and beyond. By the 1870, the railroad had moved its repair shops to Blairsville. With canal operations ending, the railroad became a major employer in the borough. A period of rapid growth and industrial development followed for Blairsville as glass factory, tin mill and foundries added to the employment opportunities in the town.
Mining and agriculture gained increased importance, and the town of Blairsville grew as a business and trade center for its region. By 1890, the borough was the most populous municipality in the country! The town continued to grow but at a slower rate until about 1930. In the midst of the depression, employment opportunities in Blairsville dwindled until 1934 when all of Blairsville's industries employed only ninety-two people. Blairsville's commercial and industrial bases were critically damaged and never recoverd to their prior strength. Conditions improved somewhat in the 1940s but a series of events after World War II permanently altered both the physical community and its economic base. The Conemaugh Dam flood control project was the first of these events. The project necessitated the clearance of all structures in the low lying lands abutting the river in Blairsville and adjacent communities. By the end of 1951 in areas where there were once homes, factories and warehouses, there remained only a wide swath of permanently vacant land. Also in 1951, Route 22 relocated from Market Street in Blarisville to a new highway to the north.
While this bypass reduced traffic problems in Blairsville, new businesses grew up along the new highway, and several downtown businesses abandoned their Market Street locations. In the 1960s, a redevelopment project marked the last event that significantly altered the physical environment of Blairsville. The project included clearance of structures along Market Street from Water Street to Liberty on the south side and to Spring Street on the north side. Cleared land was sold to Vale Technical Institute for extension of it's campus complex. Some of the oldest buildings in Blairsville were lost to the project as the redevelopment called for the demolition of twenty-seven structures. Many of these had great historical significance within the borough. Despite the raising of buildings after 1950, a number of structures remain in Blairsville, which date to the borough's earliest years. The Marshall House is an example of the architectural style of this period. It was actually built by Blairsville's founder, James Campbell. The original form is still intact. Another example of the architectural style of this period is the LaMantia Building. This nine bay, two story building housed the LaMantia Brothers Produce Company. It contains three shop fronts, which were added in the late 1800s and which are intact form that time. In the 1890s, one of these was the home of the Mammoth Grocery Store and China House of J.M Harvey. Not many western Pennsylvania towns have any structures that date back to the 1820s.
Through much of the nineteenth century, buildings along Market Street were constructed as residences, with shops added at a later date. Other buildings had shops occupying the first floor with living quarters above. Two non-residential buildings along Campbell Street, which have histroic importance are the Hebron Lutheran Church and St. Peter's Episcopal Church. The Hebron Lutheran Church built in 1837, and St. Peter's Episcopal Church constructed in 1830 and the adjoining rectory was built in 1892. This early Greek Revival Structure is the oldest Episcopal Church in the diocese and probably the oldest wet of the Alleghenies. North Walnut Street became the focus for development in Blairsville with the construction of the Blarisville Ladies Seminary in the 1850s. Around 1906, the street was lowered to provide an elevated crossing for the railroad. this lowering necessitated construction of stone retaining walls on both sides fothe street. These stone walls remain today and create a visual link to an early perios of Blairsville history. There are thirteen residential structures on the east side of North Walnust Street up to the railroad bridge. They are all frame houses and include a variet of vernacular architectural style, predominantly Greek REvival and Italianate. The west sie of North Walnut STreet is anchored by three prominent buildings, the Blarisville Public Library, located on teh corner of Walnut and Campbell Streets, has served the informational needs of Blarisville residents for over 100 years. The former American Legion Building is now the Blarisville Community Center and a new community playground is located behind the Community Center. Blairsville Borough has a new Water Filtratoin PLlant and an updated Sewage TReatement Plant. Although the population of Blairsville is only 3,595 (1990 Census), the borough continues to be a very affordable place to live and raise a family.
Blairsville Office Information
Blairsville Statistics
Municipal Officials
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