Bethel Park Tutors

About Bethel Park

Due south from the downtown area, Bethel Park, Pennsylvania is considered one of the best suburbs for families in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Originally settled at the turn of the 19th century as Bethel Township, the town seems to have taken its name from a biblical reference to a place known as the “house of God.” Throughout the early part of that century Bethel remained a small community until rapid industrialization brought mining jobs and prosperity to the entire Pittsburgh region which was home to the most economically significant coal bed in the eastern United States. Coal and iron ore mining exploded between 1860 and 1950 as Pittsburgh and other Midwestern cities drove America’s need for power and steel. In 1892 steel magnate Andrew Carnegie established Carnegie Steel Company in Pittsburgh. He later sold it for $250 million making him one of the world’s richest men. To his credit, he spent the rest of his life spending his money to create public institutions such as libraries, trusts, foundations, museums and the prestigious Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

In the 1920’s, coal mining came to Bethel Park with the digging of Pittsburgh Terminal No. 8 Mine in the area called Coverdale. The mine employed 150 men underground and 20 above. A few of the original buildings still stand in Coverdale although they have been repurposed. The mine closed in 1948, but its legacy remains. Today, if one travels into the Coverdale neighborhood they might happen upon the coal black statue of a miner, carved by a local artist out of wood. The miner is complete with a lantern on his head, a bag of tools and a grizzled, concentrated look on his face. Similarly, the miners are celebrated with a poem written by local resident George Radnick, a miner himself, who penned “Ode to a Miner” in the 1940’s. Radnick describes those “shock troops, those laborious moles of industry” who toiled “far from the azure sky.” The full poem can be seen on a commemorative plaque near the grave of a miner in the Bethel Park Cemetery.

It’s certain that a Bethel Park tutor will be able to get you caught up on your most difficult academic subjects so you can take some time away from the books to enjoy the attractions and amenities in Bethel Park and the surrounding area. For outdoor enthusiasts, the Montour Trail is a multi-use recreational trail perfect for hiking, biking, cross-country skiing and nature viewing. The trail connects with the longer Great Allegheny Passage. On Bethel Park’s eastern edge, South Park is a large green space featuring several miles of hiking trails, an ice skating rink and historic landmarks including the Corrigan Drive Pool Bath House, South Park Tennis House and Oliver Miller Homestead.

Located just outside Bethel Park, the Oliver Miller Homestead is a remnant from the days when western Pennsylvania was on the frontier of the United States. In the early years of the nation, the area was central to a conflict which came to be known as the Whiskey Rebellion. Farmers, including the Millers, rebelled against a federal tax levied on whiskey, an important commodity at that time. Violence erupted between farmers and the government with young Oliver Miller, the son of Irish immigrants, killed in the proceedings. Today, visitors can tour the two-story stone farmhouse which has been renovated to look as it would have appeared in the late 18th century.