Perryopolis History

History of Perryopolis Borough

In the early 1800s, Dr. Thomas Hersey, Nathan Hersey, and Samuel Shreve bought land from George Meason, part of which was formerly owned by George Washington, with the intent of laying out a village or town upon their purchase. Along with Thomas E. Burns, the owner of land just to the northeast, the four men officially executed the charter of Perryopolis on March 18, 1814.

The town was named after Commodore Perry due to his victory over the British in the battle of Lake Erie. Though Perryopolis was made up of only a few houses, a grist mill, and a distillery at the time, the charter laid out a vision for the future. It declared “Washington Diamond” to be in the center of town and “the two principle streets ‘Liberty’ and ‘Independence’ crossing each other at right angles in said diamond.”

Although the founding fathers had mentioned incorporation of the town in the original charter, Perryopolis was not formally incorporated and existed as a part of Perry Township for over a century. During this time, the area thrived in the coal and coke era, encompassing 999 coke ovens within the township at one time.

In 1948, Mary Fuller Frazier, who grew up in Perryopolis with her parents and grandparents, passed away and became the town’s most notable philanthropist. Her bequest of $1.5 million for “public, charitable, literary and educational purposes in the town of Perryopolis, Fayette County, Pennsylvania” changed the town forever. Upon the news, Attorney Thomas J Kalman called a meeting of the representatives of all the local civic clubs and organizations. As a result, the Perryopolis Community Planning Association was formed. After comprehensive study, Perryopolis was incorporated as a borough on February 2, 1953.