The Hostel on Main
In addition to help with funding my projects, The Progress Fund provided insights as to development of other avenues that would benefit the project. Their expertise was resourceful and the staff excellent to work with. I would seek their assistance when needed again.
People
First, Judith Pletcher bought a feed store and long-shuttered opera house, and turned it into a retail and service center. Second, she converted the home next door into an antique shop. Third, a 99-year-old former grocery store went up for sale. “It was like, what are we going to do with this?” she recalls. Rockwood’s position on the Great Allegheny Passage trail, between Pittsburgh and Cumberland, gave her the answer. “Let’s try a hostel.”
Progress
Judith contacted the Trail Town Program, operated by The Progress Fund. As a business serving the Great Allegheny Passage, she got a $75,000 loan from the state’s First Industries Tourism Program, a bridge loan, and help financing energy-efficiency improvements.
Impact
The Hostel on Main can sleep 28 in three rooms, configured to accommodate anything from a family to a scout troop. It adds an important product to Rockwood’s mix of lodgings. “With our two B & B’s and our campground, and our hostel accommodating 28 people, hopefully we can become a destination for larger groups,” says Judith. With its restored wood floors, tin ceilings and energy-efficient appliances, it combines the best of old and new. Says Judith: “We’re trying to keep it as rustic – and comfortable – as possible.”
View Story as PDF
Connect With Us!