May 25, 2021 2 min read

The Washington County Community Foundation (WCCF) recently awarded a $100,000 grant to the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in support of the museum’s $17 million On Track for the Future capital campaign. The grant was issued from the Foundation’s Acorn Fund, a pooled fund that accepts contributions from many separate donors.

The museum was started in 1954 with just three trolleys. Today, the museum is a nationally significant trolley museum that has enjoyed tremendous visitor growth in recent years, exceeding 30,000 visitors annually.

The expansion will include a new Trolley Street that will connect the current Trolley Display Building with a new Welcome & Education Center. Trolley Street will be an outdoor display where visitors can tour and ride trolleys, visit the newly restored Wexford Station, and enjoy a small park area. The museum is designing exhibits and programs to provide educational experiences in history and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) areas.

Museum executive director Scott Becker recognizes that community support for the project has been critical. He said, “The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum sincerely appreciates the ongoing support of the Washington County Community Foundation. This significant gift symbolizes the tremendous community support that we have received to improve our facilities so that we can provide a quality immersive educational experience to all that visit us!”

In addition to strong support from individuals and institutions in Washington County, the museum has secured significant financial contributions from individuals and institutions outside of Washington County, including the Allegheny Foundation, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the 20th Century Electric Railway Foundation, the Katherine Mabis McKenna Foundation, and the EQT Foundation. Additionally, the museum has been successful in securing governmental support, including a sizable Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant through the PA Department of Community & Economic Development.

“When the Trolley Museum informed me a few years ago of this very ambitious campaign, I thought it was unrealistic, given the size of the organization and its small staff,” said Betsie Trew, WCCF president and CEO. “But the trolley museum assembled a dynamic and well-connected campaign committee that has already raised about 85% of their $17 million goal. T

Construction is underway and is estimated to be completed in the second half of 2022. Local contractor Waller Corp. is the general contractor on the project, and many of its employees and its subcontractors are based in Washington County.