History buffs and dog walkers can return to the 213-acre grounds of Bushy Run Battlefield for the first time in more than two months this weekend.
The state historical site closed after a tornado whipped through Penn Township on June 26, uprooting trees and downing power lines. The resulting damage forced the site to cancel its annual August reenactment, which portrays the 1763 clash between the British and Native Americans during Pontiac’s War.
The EF1 tornado was one of five to touch down in Western Pennsylvania that day. It originated in Wall, Allegheny County and traveled about 10 miles to Trafford and Penn Township with wind speeds up to 110 mph.
With the help of crews from Dayton, Ohio tree removal company Paul Bunyan, Bushy Run’s fields and trails are safe for the public to explore, said Rob Malley, board member of the Bushy Run Historical Society.
Bushy Run will open its gate at 10 a.m. Saturday and resume typical operating hours for its grounds and museum. Tours of the museum and grounds will be free Saturday and Sunday, Malley said.
“(It’s) just our way of thanking the community,” he said.
Volunteers will be available to answer visitors’ questions about the tornado cleanup, Malley said. Light refreshments will be served at the pavilion from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
Though the main trails of the park are free for visitors to roam, Malley said the smaller, offshoot trails that could not be reached by cleanup crews will be closed off.
But the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission has assured Bushy Run officials the park is safe for reopening, Malley said.
“I know that PHMC would not have allowed us to open if there was anything that was blatant,” he said. “I feel comfortable in that regard.”
There is no immediate plan to address the offshoot trails, said historical society President Bonnie Ramus. The state commission will work with park maintenance crews on clearing the remaining debris.
“The park looks amazing compared to what it did look like after the tornado,” she said.
Ramus estimates Bushy Run received about $8,000 in donations to tide the historical site over when it could not earn money from tours and museum entry.
Community members and local organizations contributed, including the Westmoreland City Polish Club and American Legion branches from Manor, Trafford and Penn Township. The Bushy Run American Legion, based in Penn Township’s Claridge neighborhood, donated $5,000 in August.
“I have a feeling we’re going to do an American Legion day, because those groups really stepped up to keep us operational,” Malley joked. “We still have bills whether we get a visit or not.”
Bushy Run visitors can expect a series of small living history demonstrations at the park this fall to make up for the canceled reenactment, Ramus said.
“We are a treasure in this vicinity,” she said. “We have a great history, and we want to keep it alive.”
Quincey Reese is a TribLive reporter covering the Greensburg and Hempfield areas. She also does reporting for the Penn-Trafford Star. A Penn Township native, she joined the Trib in 2023 after working as a Jim Borden Scholarship intern at the company for two summers. She can be reached at qreese@triblive.com.