About

In 2014, the Town of McCandless broke ground on the McCandless/Northern Allegheny Heritage Center. The 4,200 square foot replica of a one-room schoolhouse was designed to house and preserve valuable pieces of local heritage. Our founding collection was that of Joe Bullick, a dedicated amateur historian, storyteller, and collector. Over his long life, Joe accumulated an amazing assortment of documents, maps, photos, and objects that told the history of this area. For years, his museum was housed by the school district where he was employed. Safety and space concerns, however, brought the collection to a crisis point. Another home had to be found, or Joe’s collection would be lost. Thus, the Heritage Center was born. 

McCandless was settled more than 200 years ago, predominantly by farmers. The change from rural to suburban began with the discovery of oil, and the introduction of an electric railway. Next, road improvements and the post-WWII baby boom had families flocking to the suburbs. They created the community in which they wanted to live, building schools, parks, churches, and hospitals. Rather than the tales of steel tycoons or captains of industry, the Heritage Center tells the stories of farmers, teachers, grocers, and blacksmiths. This is the history of the everyday lives of the citizens of the Northern Allegheny region, collected and preserved for future generations. 

The Heritage & Cultural Center is a historical government entity operating under the Town of McCandless. It opened in 2017, and since then volunteers have endeavored to house, organize, and make accessible the historically valuable, original records pertaining to the Town of McCandless, the North Allegheny School District, and surrounding communities. The collection fills the center’s 2,000 square foot storage area. Exhibit and storage areas meet archival quality standards and the Heritage Center aims to inventory, preserve, and store these historical records. 

A visual assessment of the collection reveals: the most complete run of local school district documentation available to the public, unique scrapbooks from service organizations dating back to the mid-20th century, original historic photographs, family histories, and extensive clippings that chronicle the area’s history. Other items document the early oil industry and electric railroad system. 

Photos from the collection have been requested for use in displays across the country, depicting early 20th century life. Records are frequently used to conduct research for family and house histories, and have been used by authors to document the area’s past. Another valuable use is memory care therapy for local residents. Since opening, the center has received additional donations of local historical value. Most recently, the Heritage Center acquired the family records and genealogical information for the McCandless family, including a portrait of the judge for whom the town is named. 

In order to make information available to the public, the Heritage Center must leverage the necessary resources to adequately inventory, preserve, and store these historical records. With such resources, the Heritage Center will be able to curate archival materials for the first time, make materials publicly available and searchable, and will support more complete and in depth displays by guiding volunteers to related objects and records to tell the full story. 

Since its inception the McCandless/Northern Allegheny Heritage Center has been a member of the Heinz History Center Affiliate Program (HCAP) and has served as an example for regional historical groups to learn about best practices. In partnership with HCAP and the Alliance for Response, the Heritage Center has provided workshops on the development of core documents, collections management, and emergency management.

About the Project

In 2014, the Town of McCandless and the North Allegheny School District launched a collaborative effort to house the longtime collection of local history buff Joseph Bullick. Since the inception of the partnership, the community has shown an outpouring of support. Contributing community members have donated countless hours and materials for the careful planning of this project, which will benefit generations to come. Town Manager Toby Cordek said, "With all the spirit that Joe Bullick has put into collecting these items for the community, the community had to respond, and the Town stepped up to provide a permanent home."

The groundbreaking ceremony was held on Community Day, September 13, 2014. Two years later, a sneak preview of the exhibits was held during Community Day, September 10, 2016.

The cooperative committee, which includes representatives from Town Council, Town staff, the North Allegheny School District, RSSC Architecture, and Gateway Engineers, has nurtured the project from its inception to bring the replica one-room schoolhouse history center to fruition.

We look forward to including you in our journey of renewing history and giving all residents of the North Hills a place to reflect on the past.

Quick Facts About the Heritage Center

• Replica of a one-room schoolhouse (RSSC Architecture)
• 2,140 square foot upper level
• 2,060 square foot basement level for storage
• Houses artifacts pertaining to the Town of McCandless, North Allegheny School District, and surrounding communities

About Joe Bullick

Joe Bullick, a lifelong resident of the Wexford area, was an employee of the North Allegheny School District for 40 years. For more than 20 years, he collected pieces of North Hills history and other memorabilia for the benefit of youngsters who have never seen an eight-track player, a pay phone, a Brownie camera, or other technology that has fallen by the wayside. For several years, the collection has been available for public viewing by appointment at the North Allegheny History Museum at McKnight Elementary School. At the time, when asked how he feels about this outpouring of support from the Town and the many volunteers who are involved in the project, he said, "I couldn't be happier, knowing that my collection will be on permanent display for everyone to see, for generations to come."

An active community member in McCandless and surrounding communities, Joe also authored the autobiography Put a Tent Over the Circus, the story of foster parenting and adoption. He resided in Pine Township with his wife, Emma.

Sadly, Joe passed away on May 25, 2019, at age 87. His contributions to North Allegheny, McCandless, and the North Hills as a whole will never be forgotten.

About the Collection

The collection, which was signed over to the Town of McCandless, includes North Allegheny School District photographs, documents, yearbooks, and sports memorabilia; twentieth century life artifacts of popular culture (toys, household items, tools, military memorabilia, etc.); and North Hills related research materials and photos (including the surrounding communities of Bradford Woods, Franklin Park, Marshall and Pine townships, and Ross).