ACAF Grant Benefits Pioneer Oil Museum

ACAF • December 5, 2019

(Oct 2019) The Allegany County Area Foundation recently presented a $1000 grant to the Pioneer Oil Museum. This support came from ACAF’s Allegany Fund, which supports a variety of Allegany County non-profit organizations

Bolivar Pioneer Oil Museum timeline

The Foundation funds were used to help pay for the museum’s timeline display ‘Oil! Gushers and Dusters’ (see photo) which chronicles the history of oil exploration in the state. The display can be found in the museum’s Main Street building, which features a variety of artifacts and photos and has been re-painted and re-organized for an improved visitor experience.

In addition to the Main Street center, the Pioneer Oil Museum owns the nearby former Hahn & Schaffner Complex and the former Pittsburg, Shawmut and Northern Railroad depot. The Museum has renovated its Shaner and Joyce Exhibition Buildings, which between them house a collection of historic oil field equipment, a section of an old powerhouse, and a collection of soon-to-be-working equipment from the Bolivar and Bradford oil fields.

“The history of Allegany County and the oil industry are on display at the Pioneer Oil Museum,” notes ACAF executive director Bruce Campbell. “The Foundation is really pleased to support this project.”

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