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The Headlee sawmill was originally located in Wayne/Perry Township and was donated by the Headlee family in the 1990s. It is a rip saw operation, designed to cut with the grain of the wood, and is powered by the tractor located next to the sawmill. The sawmill still runs and will occasionally be in operation for visitors to view.

Sawmill

Tour of the grounds and outbuildings at the Greene County Historical Society. This is a work in progress so check back for new updates!

The original section of the building is the 1857 farmhouse owned by the Rinehart family. The 12-room Georgian Revival brick home was the center of the family’s large farm. In 1861 the home was purchased by Robinson Downey who then sold the property to Greene County.The Greene County Almshouse was established in 1861, the result of state legislation passed just prior to the Civil War for each county to establish a house for the care of their poor and indigent residents. The County purchased the Rinehart home and farm as the site of the Greene County Home (also known as the Almshouse or Poor Farm) and immediately expanded the structure to house inmates.A two-story wing was constructed in 1861 to accommodate 40-50 inmates. Rooms in the original Rinehart house were occupied by the steward and his family while the new wing housed a large kitchen and resident rooms. Between 1861 and 1884 the Green County Home housed poor, infirm, and insane residents of the County; after 1884, many of the insane residents were transferred to Dixmont State Hospital.Overcrowding and poor conditions were constant problems at the Greene County Home, typical of like institutions and asylums across the nation. By the early 1880s the Greene County Home had a poor reputation for the living conditions provided for the inmates. This resulted in the construction of the three-floor (including the basement) West Wing in 1886. Each floor had 12 dormitory rooms and a bathroom which expanded the capacity of the almshouse to reduce crowding. Unfortunately, conditions at the County Home continued to be problematic.The final expansion of the main building came in 1890 with the addition of the kitchen and baking areas at the rear of the building.The Greene County Home continued operating into the mid-1900s, eventually transforming from a poorhouse/almshouse into a residence for the county’s older population. During this time the institution was known as the “Green Hills Farm.” In 1969, the Greene County Home was deemed unfit to continue as a home for the indigent. It was replaced by the Curry Home constructed directly across the street. About the Greene County Historical SocietyThe idea for a Greene County historical society was first suggested in 1923 by Waynesburg College professor Andrew Jackson Waychoff. President Judge of Greene County, J. W. Ray, decreed a certificate of incorporation for the historical society on September 19, 1925 and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania officially incorporated the Greene County Historical Society on November 15, 1925. The original location of the GCHS was in the basement of the Long Building. The museum was originally housed in one basement room there until the Historical Society purchased a second room in 1956 to accommodate the growing collection.As the Historical Society grew, it outgrew its original home in the Long Building. The original plan was to build a new building on land donated by board member Levi Funk, but that ultimately fell through, the site was sold, and the money saved for purchase of another site. When the County Home was transferred from the original building to the new Curry Home in 1969, the Board of the Greene County Historical Society approached the county to use the former Home as the new site for the Historical Society. The library was opened in November of 1970 in the former boiler house and the main museum opened to the public in June 1971.The Greene County Historical Society operates the 52-room main building along with the grounds and several outbuildings. Buildings on the grounds include two reconstructed log cabins, a sawmill, smokehouse, the former boiler house (now library), barn, and railroad shed housing Engine No. 4 of the Waynesburg &amp; Washington Railroad. The museum interprets the Greene County Poor Farm history in addition to a wide variety of county and regional history topics.

The Greene County Historical Society is located in the historic Greene County Home which housed the county’s poor, infirm, and elderly residents between 1861 and 1969. The original section of the building was built as a home for the Rhinehart family in 1857 and the building was then expanded in 1861, 1886, and 1890 to accommodate inmates of the County Home. The Greene County Historical Society was incorporated in 1925 and moved into this building in the 1970s.

Greene County Historical Society and Museum

This building was likely constructed around the turn of the twentieth century and served as the Grain House for the Greene County Home. Currently the building houses the museums collection of printing presses and related equipment. Most of the presses are still operational and on select days the print shop is open for demonstrations.

Print Shop

This cabin was reconstructed at this location in 2008. It is largely reconstructed from a single cabin with additional pieces from a second cabin and some more modern materials (typically seen in the ceiling materials). The original cabin was larger, but many of the original logs had rotted so this cabin's footprint is smaller.

Cabin

The Waynesburg &amp; Washington RailroadThe Waynesburg &amp; Washington Railroad (W&amp;W RR) began operation in 1876 and connected Waynesburg, PA and Washington, PA (the county seats of Greene and Washington counties). The W&amp;W RR then interchanged with the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) at Washington. A total of 12 locomotives were used during the history of the W&amp;W RR. The W&amp;W line was 28 miles long and within that 28 miles there were 178 curves, 32 bridges, 11 major stations (staffed by agents), and a couple of flag stops. The W&amp;W carried both passenger and freight services. The Waynesburg &amp; Washington ran independently until 1885 when the Pennsylvania Railroad purchased the line. It continued to operate under the W&amp;W RR name until 1921 when the PRR reorganized and relabeled all equipment with “Pennsylvania.”The W&amp;W RR was a narrow-gauge railroad, with a three-foot gauge. This was relatively common in railroad lines laid in the 1870s and 1880s. By the end of the 1800s there was a standard gauge adopted along all railroad lines to facilitate smoother transportation over longer distances (instead of having to stop and switch trains with each new gauge, all trains could travel over the standard gauge). The W&amp;W, however, was not regauged to the standard gauge during its main period of service, even after the Pennsylvania Railroad acquired the line. The line was converted to standard gauge in 1943-1944, but it did not operate as a revenue service at this point.The last W&amp;W passenger service was on July 9, 1929 and freight service ended April 6, 1933.Why is this Locomotive Called Second No.4?The First Number 4 was the W&amp;W RR’s first Mogul type locomotive, delivered in 1889. First No. 4 was in service for about 27 years until it began to show its age. In 1916 the W&amp;W RR contracted the American Locomotive Company to build a replacement locomotive. The new locomotive was constructed at Cooke Works in Patterson, NJ as construction number 55847 and this was the engine called Second No. 4. Second No. 4 was delivered to the W&amp;W RR in May 1916 and went into freight service June 17, 1916. Second No. 4—Mogul-Type LocomotiveThe Waynesburg &amp; Washington Railroad initially used 4-4-0 locomotives prior to 1901. This numbering system (known as the Whyte notation) refers to the leading wheels—driving wheels—and trailing wheels. The 4-4-0 locomotives were not heavy enough to efficiently provide traction to haul freight on the W&amp;W route, so the company looked to move to a different engine. A 4-6-0 locomotive would have been heavy enough to haul freight, but not able to maneuver through the sharp curves located on the route.The W&amp;W RR chose the 2-6-0 Mogul locomotive and exclusively used this type after 1901. The 2-6-0 configuration was heavy enough to give the power needed to get up the steep grades and haul freight. To manage the sharp curvatures of the route the Moguls had one “blinded” driver, typically the middle of the three drivers. A “blinded” driver does not have the usual flange on the inside of the wheel—this allows the rigid wheelbase to navigate sharper curves compared to a wheelbase with all flanged wheels.The 8 W&amp;W Moguls had 42” drivers with the middle driver “blinded, 13” x 20” cylinders, and weighed 49,000 to 51,150 pounds. The Second No. 4’s basic design was a narrow gauge 2-6-0, with slide valves and Stephenson link valve gear, and a wooden cab (which was unusual at that point since most locomotives were built with steel cabs).After 1920 the locomotives were electrified with a generator behind the smokestack and headlights. The locomotives were also renumbered at this time. The W&amp;W locomotives were the 968X series with X being the W&amp;W roster number. The Second No. 4 was numbered 9684.History of the Second Number 4 After ServiceThe Second No. 4 was in active service until April 6, 1933 when W&amp;W freight service ended. At the end of that month the locomotive was transferred to the Pennsylvania Railroad and placed in storage at the PRR Canton, OH shops. It remained there between 1933 and 1953, although it was placed on display briefly in August 1936 for the Wheeling, WV Centennial. In January 1953 Second No. 4 was transferred to the PRR shops at Northumberland, PA for storage.In January 1958 Gordon Wood, then Vice President of the Greene County Historical Society, wrote to the Pennsylvania Railroad agent at Waynesburg, William A. Patterson. Wood asked that the Second No. 4 be returned to Greene County and put on display. Morton S. Smith, the PRR Vice President, agreed to indefinitely loan the locomotive to the historical society with no cost to the railroad except the initial transportation to the display location. In July 1958 Second No. 4 was transferred to the PRR shops at Juniata for restoration before its presentation to the Greene County Historical Society.The Second No. 4 was originally displayed at the Greene County Fairgrounds and about 60 feet of narrow-gauge track was laid in preparation for the locomotive’s arrival. The locomotive arrived on August 8, 1958, just in time for the Greene County Fair. Morton S. Smith formally presented Second No. 4 to the Greene County Historical Society in a dedication ceremony on August 14, 1958. Symbolically, Morton presented the document of agreement to James W. Swart, the oldest living W&amp;W engineer. Swart was the engineer who ran the last passenger run of the W&amp;W on July 9, 1929 and he wore his old engineer hat, gloves, and handkerchief at the ceremony. Swart then presented the document of agreement to Albert Moredock, then president of the Greene County Historical Society, and his gloves and hat to David Gordon Wood (grandson of Gordon Wood).Second No. 4 was on display at the Greene County Fairgrounds between 1958 and 1974. In 1974 the county planned for a new 4-H building at the Fairgrounds and the locomotive needed to be moved. Since the Greene County Historical Society then had acquired its permanent home at the Greene County Poor Farm, it could take custody of the locomotive. Greene County authorized $1000 to move the locomotive, track, and the covering shed to the historical society property and William S. Hopkins and Sons won the bid. Second No. 4 was moved from the Fairgrounds to the historical society grounds on June 6, 1974. When the locomotive arrived it was in poor condition from being displayed outdoors for many years.In 1977-1978 Tim Sposato, Brad Lester, and a crew of volunteers undertook a restoration of Second No. 4 to bring it back to operation. They successfully made the locomotive operational, although some parts proved difficult to fully repair or replace. Between 1978 and 1985 Second No. 4 steamed over the 100 feet of track laid before and after its cover shed, largely during the annual Harvest Festivals. After 1985 Sposato and Lester moved on to different things and Sposato removed several appliances from the locomotive (such as the number plate, whistle, bell, gauges, headlight, and other operational features) to protect them from vandalism and prevent untrained staff from attempting to operate the locomotive. After Sposato and Lester left, Second No. 4 was only brought out for static display during Harvest Festivals and was no longer operated under steam. The engine was largely moved out of its covering shed by tow truck and its condition again worsened due to exposure to the elements.In 1999-2000 a new team of volunteers, including Jim Weinschenker who authored a book on the Second No. 4, completed a cosmetic restoration of the locomotive. Unfortunately many of the original appliances that had been removed from the locomotive in 1985 and put into storage were found to be missing. The original bell and one of the original gauges were found and reinstalled but the original whistle, number plate, and several other pieces are gone. Reproductions were made and installed in their place. As the engine was no longer in operational condition, the team decided to restore one of the historical society’s two Plymouth locomotives to working condition in 2001 to move the larger Second No. 4. The two smaller locomotives were purchased in April 1985 from Dave Hamely to provide power to the Second No. 4. The operational Plymouth is a 1950, 7-ton, Model DLHT and the second. The second Plymouth was a 1924, 7-ton, Model DL and the historical society donated it to the American Industrial Mining Company Museum in Ohio.Recently volunteers completed additional cosmetic restoration work and re-laid the stretch of track that the Second No. 4 moves on. W&amp;W Passenger Coach 6Passenger Coach No. 6 is a wooden passenger coach constructed by Jackson &amp; Sharp Company in November 1892 for a cost of $2,375. The coach is 40’ 9” over endbeams and the body is 35’ 2” by 8’ 3”, weighs 26,400 pounds, and has 24-inch wheels. Originally furnished, the interior had 44 plush walkover seats, stoves, a toilet, two-burner Adams and Westlake chandeliers, three-ply oak veneered headlinings, and 13 windows per side with blinds. W&amp;W Coach 6 ran in the last Waynesburg &amp; Washington passenger service on July 9, 1929.After the W&amp;W RR ended passenger service in 1929 most of the passenger equipment was sold or scrapped, but Coach 6 survived and was sold to the Attapulgus Clay Company of Georgia. The Attapulgus Clay Co. used Coach 6 for miner transportation until the 1930s when the company switched over to using trucks. While the company sold off most of its locomotives and rolling stock, they kept Coach 6 and used it for a time as the company’s mining office. Coach No. 6 was then used as the Attapulgus United Steel Workers union hall until sometime in the 1950s when it was sold to a private owner. The coach was in private hands between the 1950s and 1985. During this time the owner stripped most of the seats and accessories out and converted it to a home with tin siding over the exterior.In 1985, after Greene County Historical Society volunteers had undertaken the restoration of Second No. 4, they were searching for rolling stock to display with the locomotive. They located the Coach No. 6 in Georgia and purchased it for $500 from the Englehard Corporation, the parent company of the Attapulgus Clay Company. The coach was transported by truck from Georgia to Waynesburg, PA and placed on blocks next to the narrow gauge rail at the historical society. Volunteers planned to restore Coach No. 6 to run behind locomotive Second No. 4 which had just been restored to operating condition.Unfortunately, fundraising fell short and the restoration project did not progress very far. By the mid-1990s the historical society decided to burn the coach as its condition had deteriorated. Fortunately, Bob Hungerford of the Connecticut Antique Machinery Association inquired about Coach No. 6 before it was demolished, and the CAMA purchased the coach on December 7, 1996 with the intent to restore the coach to operation. CAMA began restoration work and installed some new structural elements between 1996 and the early 2000s, but this restoration project also was never completed and instead the coach was used as a storage unit.In 2014, Coach No. 6 was advertised for sale by CAMA and author Jim Weinschenker inquired about returning the coach back to the Greene County Historical Society. CAMA agreed to donate the coach back to the GCHS and Coach No. 6 was transported from Kent, CT to Waynesburg, PA in August 2015. Currently Jim Weinschenker and a team of GCHS volunteers are working to restore Coach #6 to operating condition. The W&amp;W BuildingThe original housing for Second No. 4 at both the Greene County Fairgrounds and the Greene County Historical Society was an open-sided shed. This provided only a roof for protection, which exposed the locomotive to the elements for many years. This original shed was transferred from the Fairgrounds to the current shed location when the locomotive was transferred in 1974. Eventually the historical society enclosed the sides of the shed to try to reduce the impact of the elements on the locomotive, with a cover on the front during the winter. While helpful, the semi-enclosed shed turned into a wind tunnel which continually deposited dirt and debris on the locomotive.In 2010 a committee discussed options for a better housing shed for Second No. 4 and they acquired a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The historical society demolished the original shed and constructed the current steel shed that has rollup doors at each end to allow the locomotive to move in and out but also close tight against the weather.

The W&amp;W Shop houses the Second No. 4, a locomotive that was in service between 1916 and 1933 on the Waynesburg &amp; Washington Railroad. The Waynesburg &amp; Washington was a 28-mile narrow-gauge railroad that connected Waynesburg, PA and Washington, PA. The Pennsylvania Railroad indefinitely loaned the locomotive to the Greene County Historical Society in 1958 and it has been on display here since 1974. Also housed in the W&amp;W Shop is W&amp;W Passenger Coach No. 6, currently under restoration by GCHS volunteers.

W & W RR Shed

The original section of the barn was likely constructed in the 1860s, during the early history of the Greene County Home/Poor Farm. The side closest to the main building that has open bays was an addition, probably added around the end of the 1800s. The barn is a Queen Truss style bank barn. Livestock were housed on the lower floor--troughs are still visible in the floors of what is now used as museum storage. The upper floor was used for thrashing and this portion of the barn is now used to exhibit farm and transportation equipment and for events. The structure is largely in its original state and may be one of the oldest barns still standing in Greene County.

Barn

The boiler house dates to roughly 1887-1890, slightly after the construction of the West Wing in the main building. When the West Wing was constructed it had its own heating system built in, but the rest of the building did not. The boiler house was constructed to heat the rest of the building. Around 1890 the system was reworked so that the boiler house heated the entire County Home building. The building now houses the Greene County Historical Society library and research center.

Library (Boiler House)

This smokehouse was likely constructed around the same time as the West Wing, probably around 1886-1890. The interior of the structure still has rows of meat hooks along the ceiling and evidence of years of use. Originally there was a roof connecting the smokehouse to the boiler house that covered a cistern in between.

Smokehouse

This dogtrot-style cabin was reconstructed in 1981 on the Historical Society grounds. Typical dogtrot cabins have two log cabins connected by a breezeway under one continuous roof. This cabin is slightly altered because the roof is at two levels. The majority of the logs (about 70%) came from a two-story cabin in Spraggs, PA and Russell Headlee was mainly responsible for the reconstruction of the cabin here.

Greene County Historical Society Grounds Tour

Sawmill

Introduction

Images

Sources

Additional Information