Youngwood Borough to mark 125th anniversary in 2024

This past year saw communities across Westmoreland County celebrating the 250th anniversary of the its founding.

Anniversary celebrations will continue in the New Year for one municipality — Youngwood Borough will commemorate its 125th anniversary in 2024.

Established in 1899, Youngwood became incorporated as a borough in 1902. It encompasses 1.3 square miles of land and has a population of just under 3,000 people, according to the 2020 census.

The borough has planned a slate of gatherings, community activities, fundraisers and festivals to mark the occasion. At least one event is planned for each month, according to anniversary committee chair and Mayor Kris Long.

An outdoor summer concert, community yard sale, craft market, karaoke night and parade are all slated for 2024. The borough has been fundraising over the past year to make the events possible, Long said.

“We had a really great bingo event back in April that raised close to $10,000,” he said. “We’ve been selling merchandise as well, hats, T-shirts, tote bags and things like that. We had a Cat’s Meow wooden relief made of the borough building, and people can display that.”

Mary Ann Klingensmith, who is vice president of the anniversary committee, said the borough wants to gather residents together to celebrate.

“We want to do as much as we can as social events with no charge,” she said. “People can just come and enjoy and meet their neighbor and have a good evening or a good afternoon. It’s more of a gathering of the town for the whole year”

Building on history

The borough celebrated its 100th anniversary 25 years ago, in 1999. In September of 2024, a ceremony will be held to open the borough’s 100th anniversary time capsule and bury a new one.

For the 100th anniversary, a committee put together and published a book on the borough’s history.

The borough plans to assemble an add-on section for that book covering the last 25 years, said committee member Matthew Peoria.

“It’ll probably be around 25 to 30 pages max, with a front and back of a page dedicated to a year, and capturing the key highlights of the year,” he said.

Klingensmith participated in the 100th anniversary celebrations herself, and is looking forward to commemorating the borough again.

“I’m really excited about this, because I was actually born in Youngwood,” she said.