Rededication of Bradford City Hall

Dedication Ceremony
Bradford Era Photo by Francie Long


Debbie Huston, Project Coordinator
Bradford Era Photo: Francie Long


Photo Credit: Diana Phalon

Old City Hall Dedicated
The Bradford Era: February 21, 2007
Submitted by: Molly
Lindahl, Bradford Landmark Society Volunteer
"In the beginning, I didn't think it was doable," said U.S. Rep, John Peterson, R-Pa., Tuesday at the dedication ceremony of Bradford's newly opened Old City Hall. "You proved me wrong." Peterson, along with state Sen. Joe Scarnati, R-Brockway, and state Rep. Martin Causer, R-Turtlepoint, all addressed the tremendous dedication the Bradford community put into the renovation effort to save the city's "gem." "It's all about our history," Causer said. "You can't help but stand here and think about how many people have com through those doors," he said, gesturing towards the main entrance facing Kenney Street, "and how many will come through those doors." "Bradford really is an example to the rest of the Commonwealth. It whows what you can do when you work together." Scarnati added, "It takes people to just be a little creative once in a while." He said he knows fom his experience serving on borogh council in Brockway that al the money that went into renovating Old City Hall has caused local controversy, but said the finished project shows the money was worth it. Gesturing towards a time capsule being placed in teh building by students from teh Floyd C. Fretz Middle School, Scarnati said "When that box is opened, the people then will say the people in this room made the right choices." Pterson complimented the community's efforts, saying this project is the grandest one he's seen come to realization. "I serve a lot of communities," Peterson said. Reffering to the amount of time and effort put into the project by the city's Office of Economic and Community Development, Peterson said, "I don't know that there's another community that could pull this off." The OECD worked with area partners in a project called Impact Bradford to attract funding to the area, explained Sara Andrews, OECD executive director. Those partners - Zippo Manufacturing Co., Bradford Regional Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh and Bradford Area School District - have been one driving force, which has successfully leveraged funding from Gov. Ed Rendell's Community Action Team and other state and federal sources. "...it's a dedication to the citizens of the Bradford community," she said. "Its's part of our history. If we don't allow ourselves to remember where we came from, we'll never know where we're going." "I think Bradford has a lot to be proud of in this community," she said. "I think we need to dedicate this community to ourselves because there's not one arem or leg of this community that doesn't work with each other." Chris Mong, director of teh Northwest Regional Office of the Department of Community and Economic Deveopment, spoke on behalf of Rendells Action Team. He said that Bradford was one of the first projects the Action Team was involved in, and it was because the community pulled together as a whole. "Two years and 49 projects later, Bradford remains one of the landmark projects we mention when telling people how communitites should come together," Mong said. Rev. Robert Brest, pastor of the First Free Methodist Church, gave the opening prayer and blessing of the building - and amde a little joke about it as well. "There's one thing I don't like about it," he joked. "I can't preach past noon. The bell (in the clock tower) rings - ding, dong - it's noon. Everyone looks at their watch, pulls out their keys and it's time to go."