Westmoreland 250: 10 things to see in Rostraver

Nov. 22—(Editor's note: To mark Westmoreland County's 250th birthday this year, we've come up with a list of 250 things — 10 things in 25 communities — that we consider to be important to the makeup of our area. This series will appear each week through December. If you have a suggestion for a future installment, please email gtrcity@triblive.)

One of Westmoreland County's original municipalities, Rostraver is home to a diverse mix of villages, rural space, major highways and housing developments.

Before the township in the southwestern corner of the county was officially founded, Native Americans called it home. Early settlers laid out plans for small communities and churches amid farmland, including Webster, Collinsburg, Van Meter and Fellsburg.

Part of its borders run along two rivers — the Youghiogheny and Monongahela. Two major highways — Route 51 and Interstate 70 — carry motorists past the municipality's diverse land use, from agriculture to heavy industrial sites. There isn't an official downtown but homes remain clustered around the villages and housing developments pop up on land that previously was open space or farm land.

Here are 10 unique things in Rostraver:

Concord School

This one-room school house just off Route 51 and near Cedar Creek Park contains centuries of history. It was built in 1830 out of stone next to Concord United Methodist Church to meet the educational needs of students in the area. Parents paid a "subscription" to foot the bill for building operations.

It is the oldest subscription school standing in the county. A new housing development has been constructed in recent years on previously open land neighboring the school, creating a unique juxtaposition.

The property is used by Rostraver Historical Society for various programs, including a spelling bee and presentations. It is open on Sundays between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Cedar Creek Park

The 479-acre park not far from the Route 51/Interstate 70 interchange has an outdoor amphitheater, dog park, playgrounds, pavilions, sports fields and space for remote-controlled aircraft. A road through the park leads down a hill to the Youghiogheny River and the Great Allegheny Passage, which runs from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Md.

At Manderino Riverfront Park, there is a boat launch, more pavilions and hiking trails. Adventurers can explore the Cedar Creek Gorge cut by river tributary Cedar Creek. A shaded hiking trail leads into the woods along the creek and crosses the water via wooden suspension bridges.

Vinoski Winery

The mansion on top of the hill is now a winery and visitors can get a glimpse of the castle-like estate built in the 1990s. The home now is host to a tasting room and gift shop on the lower level that opens into a patio that at one time had a swimming pool but has since been transformed into a seating area.

Music acts regularly perform there and the winery hosts private events. Most of the house's rooms are not open to visitors.

It was built by Jay Lustig, developer of the nearby Willowbrook Shopping Center and former minority partner with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Vinoski family purchased it in 2017.

Grapes are sourced from California and red and white wines range from dry to sweet, including Riesling, Syrah, Isabella and Concord. It is at 333 Castle Drive.

Darr Mine Disaster

Memorials remain for coal miners killed in two explosions about six and a half years apart in the early 1900s.

The Darr Mine Disaster was the worst in Pennsylvania's history — 239 men and boys, mostly Hungarian immigrants, were killed in an explosion on Dec. 19, 1907. A historical marker stands at the Olive Branch Cemetery on Route 981 where 71 of the miners are buried in a common grave. The American Hungarian Foundation placed a marker at the grave.

The Rostraver Township Historical Society placed a memorial along the Great Allegheny Passage in 2007 to remember the 30 coal miners killed in the Port Royal No. 2 explosion and rescue attempt. The tablet memorial details the events of June 10, 1901.

Great Allegheny Passage

Between mile 106 and 113, and for about another mile between 115 to 116, users of the Great Allegheny Passage are trekking through Rostraver. Traveling north, that journey offers a variety of landscapes. There's the section that travels through Van Meter and underneath bridges that carry Route 981 and Interstate 70 over the Youghiogheny River.

The trail runs past the Cedar Creek Gorge , through Cedar Creek Park, and offers a shaded, tree-lined view. Closer to West Newton, a cluster of homes known as Buddtown emerges and, after crossing into West Newton and back, the trail goes through Collinsburg before returning to a tree canopy over the Allegheny County line.

Rostraver Ice Garden

The Rostraver Ice Garden, also known as the CFS Bank Event Center, has an NHL-sized ice rink that is open for public skate sessions and classes, and is the home base for several area high school, recreational and college hockey teams. It opened in 1965.

In warm months, the ice is melted and the space used for events.

In 2017, the rink won the Kraft Hockeyvilla USA title, resulting in more than $150,000 in improvements, including LED lights in the arena, lobby flooring, Zamboni controls, locker room renovations and upgrades to the cooling system. The contest involved three rounds of online voting. After winning, the facility held a Pittsburgh Penguins practice session.

Details about public sessions and other events are available at cfsbankeventcenter.com. The rink is at 111 Gallitin Road.

Rostraver Airport

This small airport off Route 51 close to the Allegheny County border is managed by the Westmoreland County Airport Authority. There are hangars, fuel and a 4,000-foot runway, but no commercial carriers.

Operations there include business and corporate travel as well as recreational and medical flights. The authority took over management there in the 1980s and oversaw the construction of private hangars and corporate aviation business.

The authority this year enrolled 50 acres of the airport in the state's Airport Land Development Zone program. The program provides tax credits to employers that locate and create jobs at designated sites at Pennsylvania airports. Employers can receive $2,100 per employee working at the Airport Land Development Zone for a period of 10 years. It is at 605 Airport Road.

Rostraver Township Historical Society

Not only does the organization have a large collection of mining artifacts, the Rostraver Township Historical Society also makes its home in a historic church in the village of Fellsburg.

The stone church was built in 1834 and now stands at the intersection of Fellsburg and Fells Church roads. Worship continued there and a large educational wing was added in 1950, according to Fells United Methodist Church. The congregation moved to its current location about a mile away in 1967.

The society was formed in 1994. Members regularly post historical photos on the group's Facebook page. It holds presentations on the second Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at 800 Fellsburg Road.

Keystone Bakery

A fixture for decades, Keystone Bakery has been family-owned since 1926, pumping out sweets and baked goods for thousands of customers. A Greek immigrant became a partner in the business that year and it has remained in his family since then.

The spot in a shopping plaza along Rostraver Road has shelf after shelf filled with sweet goodies, from doughnuts to thumbprint cookies. There are breads, cakes and pies, as well as holiday favorites, like paczki and king cakes. And if you're not into sweets, the bakery has pierogies, raviolis and take-and-bake pizzas. Several restaurants in the area work with Keystone Bakery to supply baked goods.

The bakery is open at 770 Rostraver Road Tuesday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is a second location in Monessen.

Bill's Restaurant and Golfland

This mainstay with the pink "Bill's" sign along Route 51 celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2022.

It's been a hot spot for families to grab a bite to eat before hitting the driving range or miniature golf course for decades, and often was a good place for young love to blossom on dates. Established in 1947 by William Ruozzi in what was then a remote location, it was at first a hot dog stand and driving range.

He added on to it in the 1950s, opening the restaurant and started turning it into a multi-structure complex. It's been open year-round since the 1970s.

The site now features a dek hockey rink and the restaurant has become known for its city chicken. It is at 209 Bill's Lane.

Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Renatta by email at rsignorini@triblive.com or via Twitter .