American Spirit grants awarded to seven in Washington County
Old Cecil Township jail restoration among projects
File photo
Almost 120 years ago, a two-cell jail was opened off what is now Route 50 in Cecil Township, with officials apparently hoping that it would be a safe spot for drunks to sleep off their benders.
It was little used, and has spent most of the last century slowly decaying. But the Cecil Township Historical Society has been spearheading a drive to restore it, and those efforts received a boost Wednesday when it was announced that the township would be receiving a $25,000 American Spirit grant to help pay for the jail’s restoration.
Six other Washington County communities received the grants from the Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency, which have been approved and distributed on a rolling basis since April 2025. Offered in conjunction with the United States’ 250th birthday, 33 communities in the county have now received the grants. They are designed to boost the quality of life in a community, enhance its public spaces or strengthen its identity.
“From the beginning, the goal of the American Spirit Grant Program was to partner with our municipalities to create a lasting reminder for Washington County’s communities as we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary,” according to Jeff Kotula, president of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Promotion Agency.
None of the communities that applied for grants were turned down, Kotula said, adding that the positive feedback communities offered about the grants “demonstrates the pride residents have in their communities and our local leaders’ commitment to investing in the places that make Washington County unique.”
The other six communities that received grants are Bentleyville, which will receive $19,950 for Main Street beautification; Charleroi, which will get $25,000 for work on its downtown pavilion; Donora is the recipient of $25,000 for a walking trail and upgrades at Palmer Park; Marianna is receiving $25,000 for upgrades to Mine 58 Park; Midway is getting $7,275 for improvements to its veterans honor roll; and West Middletown is receiving $25,000 for upgrades and a park pavilion.
The funding that Marianna is receiving will help complete a new pavilion and stage at Mine 58 Memorial Park, according to Jeremy Berardinelli, president of Marianna Borough Council. He said the pavilion “will be there for years to come.”
All told, about $1.5 million have gone out to communities in Washington County through the grants, with $721,924 in grant awards, and $798,324 being matched through donations and in-kind contributions. Money for the grants came from leftover COVID-19 relief funds. Some of the other projects that have received grants in previous rounds include the recently unveiled mural in Canonsburg, a memorial for Revolutionary War veterans in Beallsville, and a community pavilion in Claysville.
Mason Secreti, president of the Cecil Township Historical Society, said restoring the tiny jail is “a really important project” and “it has a lot of public support.”
He added, “It has been a great multi-year effort. There are not many of these lockups in this area.”