West Overton Museums celebrates 95 years by reopening museum's second floor.

On June 16, 1928, 500 visitors gathered in the yard of the 1838 Overholt home for the dedication of the “History House.” Henry Clay Frick’s daughter Helen oversaw and funded the transformation of the home into a historic site to feature the history of Westmoreland and Fayette Counties. Shortly after, the shuttered 1859 distillery was recommissioned as a museum. For decades, visitors toured the home, learning history as far back as the 1700s, and they meandered through several floors of the museum to look at various historic artifacts. Several years ago, the second floor of the museum was temporarily closed.

WEst Overton Distillery Building

Now, in celebration of the museum’s 95th anniversary, the second floor will return in a big way. Guests will experience new exhibitions important to the layered Overholt story, thanks to a leading gift from Beam Suntory. The second floor will feature an exhibition to showcase more than 225 whiskey bottles and dozens of other whiskey artifacts from historic distilleries in Pennsylvania. Additionally, the second floor will feature new additions. A classroom will enable the museum to host more field trips. A rotating exhibition area and climate-controlled collections storage will feature more of the museum’s diverse collection. Finally, a new elevator will carry visitors from the basement event room up to the second floor. The second floor will reopen in phases over 2023 and 2024, with the bottle exhibition opening first in late 2023.

In addition to reopening the second floor, the museum has programs and initiatives planned to celebrate this milestone. The first is a new website that launched in January. Updated signage featuring the museum’s new logo will be installed at the site in the spring. Other programs include talks about the life of Henry Clay Frick, the establishment of the historic site, special whiskey tastings, and a family friendly DIY history weekend.

Updates about the 95th anniversary, the second floor, and special events can be found at westovertonvillage.org and Facebook.com/westovertonvillage.

The 1859 distillery closed in 1920 because of Prohibition. It reopened as a museum in 1930, featuring many local historic artifacts. After a brief closure, the second floor of the museum will reopen to the public later this year. Image courtesy Courtney Celeste Photography.

West Overton’s “History House” opened to the public in June of 1928. Hundreds of visitors gathered to celebrate the new regional museum. 2023 marks the 95th anniversary of West Overton Museums. Image courtesy of The Frick Collection

House Dedication Photo 1928