Brownsville's Rose Mansion Landmark Selected for 2011 Collectible

GREATER BROWNSVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE


For immediate release:

July 18, 2011

Rose Mansion

Brownsville Chamber Featuring Rose Mansion

For 29th Year of Limited Edition Collectibles

The 2011 collectible will be available November 1

BROWNSVILLE, Pa. – The Greater Brownsville Area Chamber of Commerce has selected the Rose Mansion, built in 1873, as the featured historic property for its 29th consecutive issue of limited edition collectibles of landmark structures in Brownsville Borough.

The Rose Mansion at 320 Market St. is a contributing structure to the North Side Historic District, an eye-catching reminder of Brownsville's rich history visible to roughly 10,000 vehicles per day traveling Route 40, the Old National Pike. The Italianate design was the original Monongahela National Bank, which was relocated about 1900 to the downtown. The structure was transitioned to residential use after Brownsville's prominent Rose family acquired it, sometime between 1903 and 1917.

The 2011 collectible will be available Nov. 1. The ornaments, $8 each, have been issued by the chamber since 1983, with the inaugural piece featuring Nemacolin Castle. In 2010, the featured property was the former Brownsville Hospital's School of Nursing.

"The real value is if you have the entire collection," says Frank Ricco, president of the Greater Brownsville Area Chamber of Commerce. A limited number of collectibles are still available for 1997, 1998 and 2000 through 2010 at the chamber's 325 Market St. office.

Ray Koffler, project chairman, acknowledges the challenge has been to come up with a new property each year. But, it was the Rose Mansion's commanding presence in the oldest intact commercial and residential district west of the Alleghenies – and the current owner's redevelopment plan – that planted the seed to feature the building on the 2011 limited edition ornament.

Brownsville Area Revitalization Corp. is considering a bed-and-breakfast adaptive reuse project for the structure, which was donated in 2010 by the Rose heirs to the non-profit organization. Peter Frederick Rose, the home's sole occupant for decades, died in July 2006.

The in-stock inventory of collectibles from previous years features the Flatiron Building, Brownsville Hospital, Inter-County Bridge, Bridgeport Mine, Riverside Wharf and Park, North and South Side fire halls, the Veterans Memorial, Brashear House, Patsy Hillman Park, the Monongahela Railroad Museum and the nurses' school. In addition to being available at the chamber office, the limited edition ornaments will be sold at the Brownsville Community Festival, slated for Aug. 6 from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
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FOR INTERVIEWS:

Frank Ricco, 724-785-3600

Ray Koffler, 724-785-4978; ray@tru-copy.com

Images of Yesterday: A Peek Into Brownsville's Past at Rose Mansion

Contact:

Blake Fisher Phone: 724.785.9331


AmeriCorps VISTA Fax: 724.785.8626

E-mail: barcinfo@barcpa.org

Images of Yesterday: A Peek into Brownsville’s Past

BROWNSVILLE, Pa. – The Brownsville Area Revitalization Corp. (BARC) is hosting a photography exhibit during The National Road Festival on May 21 from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and May 22 from noon to 4:00 p.m. The exhibit will be held at the Rose Mansion at 320 Market St., Brownsville, PA and will include images of Brownsville’s Northside and historic ‘Neck’ districts. The admissions fee is $5.

The Rose Mansion was donated to BARC by the heirs of the Rose estate in 2010. Since that time BARC has received funding to conduct significant roof repairs as well as a marketing assessment considering the property’s future use.

Photographs curated for the exhibit were selected from the recently donated Norman Patterson Collection. The collection was donated in February of 2011 and contains approximately 1,000 photos of the Brownsville area dating from the 1860’s up through the 1970’s.

The event is sponsored by The Sprout Fund Seed Award for Greene and Fayette counties, Brownsville Bus Lines, the Fayette County Tourism Grant Program and the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau. Proceeds and donations will help BARC continue to fund its community revitalization efforts in Brownsville. BARC is a 501c3 non-profit organization whose mission is to achieve economic development through historic preservation, heritage tourism, outdoor recreation, community stewardship, education, youth advancement and the arts.
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For additional information or arrange interviews:

Dennis Cremonese, 724.785.9331

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Brownsville Area Revitalization Corp. (BARC) is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Its mission is to achieve economic development through historic preservation, heritage tourism, outdoor recreation, community stewardship, education, youth advancements and the arts. Contact the BARC office, 724.785.9331, for additional information about programs and upcoming events.