Preserving a slice of Mountaintop history
SNOW SHOE — When Jerry Hefferan, President of the Snow Shoe Lions Club and a former miner, saw the condition of the coal car at the Mountaintop Area’s David House Heritage Museum, he knew he could help. With the support of the Lions Club and Rosebud Mining Company in Kittanning, which donated the project’s wood, hardware and paint, Hefferan has restored the car to its former glory for all to enjoy.
The coal car, which was donated for the 1996 opening of the museum by the late William Swancer who used it in his mines in Clarence, holds significant historical value. Hefferan said, “During the peak of Pennsylvania coal mining, tens of thousands were in use. However, most were sold for scrap when the coal industry’s hand-loading era ended by the late 1950s. It was a pleasure to reconstruct this car. I’ve done several over the years. The bottom of this car now features salt-cured oak, while the remainder is larch wood. The restoration ensures this car will be around for a long, long time.”
According to Zach Chambers, David House President, “The board explored several options to restore the car over the years, all of which proved unsuccessful. When Jerry and the Lions Club volunteered, we were thrilled. We can’t thank Jerry enough for his work to save this slice of the Mountaintop’s coal mining history.”
Visit the David House Heritage Museum in Snow Shoe to learn more about the car’s restoration and the area’s rich coal mining legacy.