100 Objects:
Corneta machete
Corneta machete
The 28½ inch Corneta machete, no. 23, made in El Salvador, may be familiar to customers of Pizza With A German Twist, a Washington mainstay for more than 40 years. This menacing instrument, designed for cutting sugar cane and having a finely sharpened steel blade nearly two feet long, was used not to deter late-night burglaries (although it would have undoubtedly done that as well), but rather to slice the enormous round pizzas that were the trademark of this locally famous pizzeria.
As its name suggests, Pizza With A German Twist was operated with a rather unique recipe, both for the pizza itself and the cross-cultural experience its customers will long remember. The brand for the pizzeria was established by post-war German emigrants Frances Schumacher and Hilda Dorner in the 1950s, and the pizza shop was in operation from 1957 to 2001 at locations on West Chestnut Street and Jefferson Avenue. Hilda emigrated from post-war Germany in 1953, became a U.S. citizen in 1960 and emerged as a popular local figure. Less is known about Frances, but it is believed she maintained close ties with her homeland.
Customers and friends will recall the atmosphere at Pizza With A German Twist as warm and friendly, with Hilda and Frances seeming more like extended family than business proprietors. This interesting chapter in Washington’s history ended with Hilda’s passing in 2006. Regrettably, today’s high school students have no firsthand knowledge of Pizza With A German Twist – demonstrating how quickly our history can disappear if we don’t actively preserve it. Readers wishing to share more of the story of Pizza With A German Twist are encouraged to contact the Washington County Historical Society by email at info@wchspa.net, by visiting the historical society’s Facebook page, or by mail at 49 E. Maiden St., Washington, PA, 15301.
Tom Milhollan is the operations and development coordinator for the Washington County Historical Society.