Manorville Borough Hall is located at 600 Center Lane, Manorville PA 16238.
Phone: 724‑763‑8183.
Beginnings [1]
John Sibbett in 1854 laid out the town of Manorville, which lies between Kittanning and Ford City. It was incorporated as a borough in 1866.
The following borough officers were elected at the first borough election: Burgess, Joseph M. Kelley; town council, Jesse Butler, Calvin Russell, David Spencer, Peter F. Titus and Samuel Spencer; justices of the peace, John Mcllvaine and A. Briney; school directors, for three years, David Spencer and Dietrich Stoelzing; school directors, for two years, A. Rhoades and M. A. Lambing; school directors, for one year, R. C. Russell and Jesse Butler; high constable, Jonas M. Briney; borough auditors, Robert McKean, Milton McCormick and W. M. Patterson; judge of election, Joseph M. Kelley; inspectors of election, William Copley and H. M. Lambing; assessor, David Spencer; overseers of the poor, James Kilgore and George W. Shoop.
The first resident in this part of the Manor was William Shearer, who established a tannery in 1803. He was a resident here until 1807. The Lambing brothers settled here in 1830, engaging in milling and other occupations. One of their descendants, Father A. A. Lambing, is a Catholic priest of high reputation as an historian and man of letters, and now resides at Wilkinsburg, near Pittsburgh.
Josiah Copley began the manufacture of firebrick here in 1847, the business being carried on after his death by his sons. Andrew Arnold had the largest tannery in the county here in 1878. This industry was started by him in 1850.
An oil refinery was operated here from 1861 to 1875 by various firms. The founder was J. C. Crumpton and the last owner was the Standard Oil Company. The first storekeeper was Henry J. Arnold, in 1855. The present ones are Lesser & Baker, E. M. Shaul, and Charles Bovard.
The Manorville post office was established in 1862, James Cunningham holding the office for twenty years ... Miss Mollie Shearer is the present one. Dr. James G. Allison is the resident physician.
The Lutherans secured a foothold first here when Rev. G. W. Leisher canvassed the town in 1878 and succeeded in organizing the Manorville Evangelical Lutheran Church. F. S. Shoop and William Truby were elected elders, and Alexander Hileman and G. W. Crytzer, deacons. The members were: Alex. Hileman, Laura Hileman, John Wolf, Sarah Wolf, William Truby, Christina Truby, W. S. Heffelfinger, Catherine Heffelfinger, Levi Crawford, Sarah Crawford, Kate R. Leisher, Elizabeth Shoop, Mary McClarren, Nancy A. Schall, Christina Marks, Elizabeth Truby, John A. H. Crytzer, Margaret Crytzer, F. S. Shoop, Rebecca A. Shoop, John A. Fry, Lucinda Fry, George W. Crytzer, Turnie Neal, Ella Neal, Caroline Otto, Susannah Truby, Amelia Euchler, Susannah Mansfield.
The first services were held in the Manorville school and also at other times in the No. 9 schoolhouse, north of there. In 1882 the present church building was erected at a cost of $1,659. It was dedicated in 1884.
The pastors have been: Revs. G. W. Leisher, 1878-85; J. W. Tressler, 1886-99; Franklin J. Matter, 1900-10; and the present pastor, Rev. J. G. Langham. Membership, 100; Sunday school, 200. The title of the church has been changed to Grace Evangelical Lutheran, since the date of organization.
The Methodist Episcopal Church here is under the charge of Rev. Samuel M. Cousins.
The Phoenix Firebrick Works were established in 1880 by Isaac Reese, who was the inventor of the first silica firebrick, for furnace linings, in the United States. He obtained a patent on the process and amassed a fortune from the business. The average daily production was 8,000 bricks per day. The plant was sold in 1905 to the Harbison-Walker Company, of Pittsburgh. They found it un-remunerative to operate the works, owing to the cost of shipping the clays used in the process from Brookville and other points, so they shortly thereafter dismantled the works and moved the machinery to Templeton.
The Ford City Fertilizer Works are located at Garrett's Run, a suburb of Manorville.
Here also are the shops and power house of the West Penn Electric Company, operators of the trolley lines through Kittanning, and who now supply that city with light and power.
Nearby Towns: Applewold Boro • Ford City Boro • Kittanning Boro • Manor Township • West Kittanning Boro •