Belle Vernon Public Library looks back at bicentennial celebration

A scrapbook featuring photos from 1976 events will be available for public viewing from June 15 through July 11.

As communities across the nation prepare to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, Belle Vernon Public Library is inviting residents to take a step back in time and revisit the country’s 200th anniversary through a unique local scrapbook on display this summer.

The oversized scrapbook, created by the Belle Vernon Bicentennial Commission, documents the parades, banquets, entertainment and community events that marked the nation’s bicentennial celebration in 1976. The collection will be available for public viewing at the library from June 15 through July 11.

Library Director Elina Filander said the scrapbook offers a rare glimpse into a memorable chapter of local history.

“The scrapbook is really oversized and some of the clippings and photos are in delicate condition,” Filander said. “But everyone under 70 years old should stop by and see all the parades, banquets and entertainments their parents and grandparents put on in 1976.”

The 17-by-17-inch volume contains newspaper clippings, photographs and memorabilia collected during the bicentennial festivities held in Belle Vernon and North Belle Vernon. Many of the pictures were taken by local photographer Patsy Cicco and capture community celebrations that brought residents together during the summer of 1976.

Library officials said the display is intended both as a historical exhibit and as a resource for anyone interested in learning more about the area’s role in the nation’s bicentennial observance. The collection may also provide useful background and images for organizations and media outlets preparing stories related to the Fourth of July and the upcoming America 250 celebration.

Because of the scrapbook’s age and size, visitors are encouraged to view it while it is on public display. Selected highlights from the collection will also be available online through links on the library’s website.

Belle Vernon Public Library is located at 505 Speer St., North Belle Vernon.

Summer hours are Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 6 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, contact the library at 724-929-6642.