Delmont, PA
| Delmont, Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|
| Borough | |
Historic water trough on
East Pittsburgh Street |
|
 Delmont, Pennsylvania
|
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| Coordinates: 40°24′47″N 79°34′17″W / 40.41306°N 79.57139°WCoordinates: 40°24′47″N 79°34′17″W / 40.41306°N 79.57139°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Westmoreland |
| Settled | 1814 |
| Incorporated | 1833 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Borough Council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.1 sq mi (3 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,260 ft (380 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 2,497 |
| • Density | 2,333.1/sq mi (900.8/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Zip code | 15626 |
| Website | Delmont's website |
Delmont is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,686 at the 2010 census.
Delmont was initially known as New Salem. The 300 acres of land was warranted to William Wilson in 1784 and upon his arrival in 1785 he named the area New Salem. In 1812 a post office was established in New Salem and it was named Salem X Roads(Salem Crossroads), Pennsylvania. Hugh Bigham was the first postmaster. Wilson continued to farm on the land until his death in 1796. After Wilson's death in 1796 his estate was divided between his sons, Thomas and George. It was not until 1812 that the patent was validated. Eventually, the family conveyed their deeds over to Thomas and he became the sole owner of the property. Thomas decided to divide the property into 48 lots to form a crossroads village. Thomas Wilson designed the town around a watering trough that was built in 1810 by Hugh Bigham. The watering trough was originally known as the "running pump." The watering trough was connected with wooden pipes to a "Big Spring" that's never known to run dry. In 1814, two days before Christmas, 48 lots were auctioned off to form a "crossroads" town. As the area developed, the town was referred to locally as "Salem Crossroads."
On April 8, 1833, the town was incorporated as "New Salem Borough." The mailing address was Salem Crossroads until 1871, when town postmaster Zachariah Zimmerman changed it to Delmont. The town and the post office carried two different names until May 16, 1967, when residents voted to change the borough's name to Delmont after a promotional campaign by then-Mayor Franklin Mangery. Several areas in and around the borough still carry the Salem reference. Major navigational roads were built through the area in the late 18th century, and what is now local Route 66 was built in 1800. The East-West Northern Turnpike was completed in 1819 linking Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. Delmont was a busy stagecoach stop boasting at one time five stage coach lines through the village. Travelers would stop tired and hungry and patronized the several inns and taverns in town. In 1853, the Pennsylvania Railroad was complete through Westmoreland County to Pittsburgh. This was a faster more economical way to travel. In 1855,the last stagecoach passed through the crossroads village and ended the stagecoach era for the crossroads town.
The now defunct Salem Crossroads Historical Restoration Society worked to maintain the local history and to restore the area. As a result of their efforts, the Salem Crossroads Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. In 1980 the society purchased Shields Farm, which hosts the annual Apple 'N Arts festival on Shields farm during the first week of October.
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Wikipedia