Scout Hut in Burgettstown sold
Burgettstown Borough has sold the Scout Hut, a building that has been used by Burgettstown Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops for more than 80 years.
Borough council last week voted to sell the building on Hindman Avenue for $21,000 to Burgettstown residents Frank and Colleen Roberts. Their home is adjacent to the Scout Hut.
Troops that have held meetings and events at the Scout Hut will continue to be able to use the building, according to new owner Colleen Roberts.
“There are not going to be any changes. We bought the property because it’s on the tail end of our property, and we didn’t want somebody to come in and not take care of the Scouts,” she said. “We will always honor the agreement with the Scouts and abide by the agreement.”
The lot on which the Scout Hut was built was donated to the borough by Lions Club member Thomas Linn in 1941 for use by the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Linn and the Lions Club also organized a campaign to raise funds for construction of the cinderblock building.
The deed included a clause that the building would available for use for Boy and Girl Scout troops as long as troops were in existence.
However, sometime in 2020 or 2021, a Burgettstown Cub Scout pack was not rechartered for a period of time due to an apparent paperwork error, which effectively ended the agreement, according to Burgettstown Mayor Luke Snatchko.
Snatchko said the borough sold the Scout Hut as part of an effort to sell properties the borough owns. There are two other properties the borough is attempting to sell.
According to Snatchko, the borough was responsible for paying for utilities and maintenance of the Scout Hut.
Over the years, several groups, businesses and individuals have made improvements, including renovations to the kitchen and restroom, and repairs to the furnace and roof.