Hannastown, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hannastown
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 Hannastown
Location in Pennsylvania
Hannastown
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Westmoreland |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
Hannastown is a small, historic community in Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is an unincorporated community, which means it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. Hannastown is known as an important historical and archaeological site. Even though it's a small place, it has its own ZIP code, 15635.
The History of Hannastown
Hannastown was started in 1773. It was first called "Hanna's Town." This community became the main center for the newly formed Westmoreland County. It was built along Forbes Road, which was a very important path. This road was the main way to travel into the Ohio Country from eastern Pennsylvania.
The town was named after Robert Hanna. He was an early settler who owned a tavern there. His tavern also served as the very first courthouse for Westmoreland County. Most of the people who settled in Hannastown were from Irish and Scotch-Irish backgrounds. However, the areas around the town were mostly settled by Pennsylvania Dutch people.
The Attack of 1782
On July 13, 1782, something very important happened in Hannastown. During the last parts of the American Revolution, the community was attacked. A British military group from Fort Niagara, along with American Indian allies, destroyed the settlement. This group was led by a man named Guyasuta.
After the attack, the county government had to move. It went to a new town called Newtown, which is known today as Greensburg. Hannastown was rebuilt, but it didn't grow much after that. This was because Forbes Road, the main travel route, was changed to go through Greensburg instead. Eventually, most of Hannastown became farmland.
Coal Mining Era
Much later, in 1899, a company called Jamison Coal & Coke Company opened a coal mine in Hannastown. This mine was known as "No. 2." It also had a place where they made coke, which is a type of fuel made from coal. The company built almost 80 houses for its workers. The mine was served by a train line called the Alexandria branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
The mine was busiest in the 1910s. At that time, as many as 635 people worked there. The mine stopped operating in 1949.
Historic Hanna's Town Today
In recent years, the original area of Hanna's Town from the 1700s has been dug up by archaeologists. It has been carefully fixed up and rebuilt. Today, the Historic Hanna's Town site is open for visitors.
You can see a rebuilt version of the Hanna Tavern, which was also the courthouse. There are also three old log houses from the late 1700s. You can also see a rebuilt fort and a blockhouse from the time of the American Revolution. The site also has a blacksmith shop and a wagon shed. Inside the wagon shed, there is a real Conestoga wagon from the late 1700s.
The Westmoreland County Historical Society and the Westmoreland County Parks and Recreation Department take care of this historical site. They keep it open for everyone to visit and learn about its past.
