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History · Rostraver

Rostraver’s history is
mostly unwritten

The public archives hold no old photos of Rostraver. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.

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The story

from WikipediaRead it all ↗

Rostraver Township is in the southwestern corner of Westmoreland County and is the location of the Household No. 1 Site, which was once occupied by a Monongahela village. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The name of the township has been traced back to Rostrevor, a seaside community in County Down, now in Northern Ireland. It is known that some of the early settlers, such as the McClains, came from County Down so it is surmised that they probably named their new community out of affection for the native village and spelled it phonetically as Rostraver Unfortunately, they neglected to leave to posterity any record of having done so.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

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Start Rostraver’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Rostraver’s history is told.

0 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Famous people close to Rostraver

See all 20 →
CoolioCoolioMonessen · 4 miChristian B. AnfinsenChristian B. AnfinsenMonessen · 4 miShirley JonesShirley JonesCharleroi · 6 miKen Griffey Jr.Ken Griffey Jr.Donora · 3 miMitch DanielsMitch DanielsMonongahela · 6 miOlive ThomasOlive ThomasCharleroi · 6 mi
By decade

Rostraver, decade by decade

Before
2000
No old photos in the archives yetWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
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National Register of Historic Places

Nothing in Rostraver is on the National Register yet

That’s true of most small towns. It doesn’t mean Rostraver has no history, only that no one has written up a nomination. The closest listed place is Webster Donora Bridge in Donora, 2.7 miles away.

Rostraver and the nearest listed places

Dashed line = Rostraver. Tap a dot.
Webster Donora BridgeCement City Historic DistrictPlumer HouseCol. Edward Cook HouseDick BuildingWhitsett Historic District

Closest to Rostraver

Webster Donora BridgeDonora · Structure2.7miCement City Historic DistrictDonora · District3.2miPlumer HouseWest Newton · Building3.2miCol. Edward Cook HouseWashington · Colonial3.3miDick BuildingWest Newton · Late Victorian3.3mi

How a place gets listed

1Talk to the stateEvery nomination goes through the State Historic Preservation Office. Owners, towns and historical societies can start one.
2Try a local or state list firstMany states keep their own register with a shorter form, a common first step for old barns, halls and schoolhouses.
3Write it upA nomination covers the history, photos and a map. Webster Donora Bridge’s page links to a real one.
Know an old place in Rostraver?A mill, a schoolhouse, a cellar hole, a church: add a photo of it to Rostraver’s story, or a memory of it.
📷 Add a photo of an old place
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places · photos from Wikimedia Commons

Then & now

When neighbors add old photos, retakes from the same spot appear here side by side.

Stories next door

nearby towns’ history
📜 West Newton📜 Donora📜 Smithton📜 North Belle Vernon
We left the porch light on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Rostraver, PAWestmoreland CountyView boundary

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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