close

Scenery Hill Civic Committee works to rebuild community connections

4 min read
1 / 4

A showing of “Chicken People” at the Scenery Hill Film Festival

2 / 4

A duck in a shawl sneaked into the chicken fashion contest at the Scenery Hill Film Festival.

3 / 4

Frieda, a Golden Brahma hen, sports a patriotic look for the chicken fashion contest at the Scenery Hill Film Festival.

4 / 4

The Century Inn in Scenery Hill is in the process of rebuilding after a devastating fire two years ago. They plan to re-open this fall.

It was the fire that severely damaged the historic Century Inn on Aug. 18, 2015, that forever changed the nature of Scenery Hill.

Located along the National Road in North Bethlehem Township, the community has since found success in coming together through festivals and film screenings.

The Century Inn, built in 1794, served as the center of the village, with an annual Christmas party, musical group performances and weddings being just some of the many activities that took place there. Many in Scenery Hill have likely worked at the inn, which featured a restaurant, tavern and overnight accommodations, at some time.

“It was as if somebody passed away,” said William Harvey, a business owner and founding member of the Scenery Hill Civic Committee. “After that fire, many of our ‘village people’, as we fondly refer to ourselves, wanted to do something, anything, to make sure our town did not fall into the ashes of memory. Our goals are to build community as well as improve the historic district, its structures, and expand the gift shops and other businesses.”

To do this, the town assembled the Scenery Hill Civic Committee, a group of people from all age groups that have put on events to try to spur more community outreach. The results, according to Harvey, could not have been more successful.

The first event was the Heritage Festival on July 16, 2016, designed to highlight the history of the small town. A few hundred people showed up throughout the day.

The committee held walking tours through the Scenery Hill historic district and a reenactment of a Civil War battlefield hospital took place. Children could partake in games created during the 1800s and everyone was invited to dress from that time period. The event also featured live music and a Conestoga wagon.

For many, Harvey said, the historical aspect of the festival drew the largest amount of praise.

“So many people took the tour in the place that they grew up in, and many remarked that they had learned something new.”

In addition to the annual Heritage Festival, the committee has started the Scenery Hill Outdoor Film Festival. The first monthly screening was held June 3 of the film “Chicken People,” a documentary featuring chickens and their caretakers as they prepare them for the Ohio National Poultry Show.

“The response was great for the first film screening, we had around 60 people attend,” Aram Asarian, the film festival chairman, said. “The happening brought people together to socialize, to be entertained and to enjoy themselves.”

The film itself, it turned out, was not the main attraction for the evening, as Scenery Hill put on a poultry fashion show of its own before the screening. Participants were encouraged to bring their own birds before a panel of judges to show off their beauty.

“The Poultry Fashion Show Competition was designed to be quirky, fun and different, hence the oversized wooden spindle that acted as part of the runway, which spun the well-dressed models after they were placed upon it,” Asarian said. “The audience got a hoot out of it, and it was all that it was quacked up to be.”

A total of six hens, two roosters and three ducks participated. The judges were so impressed that all were deemed winners and awarded chicken harnesses and leashes.

The next film, “Man of Steel,” will be shown on Saturday, July 8. A superhero and supervillain costume contest will take place before the movie. The event, as are all events planned by the civic committee, is free to the public.

And the Century Inn will make a comeback, as work is now underway to restore the original stone structure and reopen it in the fall. Owner Megin Harrington again plans to stock the inn with antiques, giving it its original feel.

But the civic committee is also moving forward with activities planned throughout the year.

“We’re determined to make Scenery Hill more vibrant than it’s ever been,” Harvey said. “It’s gratifying to see old friends and neighbors come back for these events. It’s been wonderful.”

For more details on Scenery Hill and the Scenery Hill Outdoor Film Festival, visit http://www.sceneryhillpa.com.

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $3.75/week.

Subscribe Today