The United Way of Lawrence County office building is getting a makeover, thanks to the generous support of our local Legislatures. United Way purchased the building in 1993 and over the year made ongoing renovations to the building. Over this time period the United Way fundraising was reduced by over $500,000 due to corporations leaving the community and company policies were changing the extra funds for building renovations were put on hold. The funds raised were focused on helping and sustaining our local agencies and programs in our community and
United Way does not receive any tederal or state funding to assist in our programs. The United Way Campaign funds are used to assist our local charities and programs where federal, state or foundations are not supporting to the level that would
impact services in our community. Thanks to Govemor Tom Wolf and our local legislatures United Way received $100,000 through the Department of Community and Economic Development Department, Keystone Communities Program. The funds can only be used for renovations and we will seek additional funding from foundations to complete the renovations. Gayle Young, Executive Director stated, ” I was pleasantly surprised when I received the news from our Legislatures; because I was praying that we would get support to make the necessary upgrades to our building, and God came
through again.”
The Department of Community and Economic Development had
the project on hold during Covid-19 and now the funds are available for the
renovations. According to Dr. Aaron Cowan, Chairman of Historic Sites Committee, Lawrence County Historical Society, This property has significant historical association with both locally and nationally prominent individuals. Edwin Inwin Agnew (1824-1885) and his wife, Laura Geddis McGuffin Agnew (1924-1901), purchased the said lot from Susan C. Pomeroy on Oct 1884. Shortly thereafter circa 1885, the current residence was built. E. I and Laura were descendants of women of the earliest pioneer families in the area, dating to the founding of the city. Well known to the
community, E.I, was appointed Postmaster under President Gartield.
On August 29, 1898, Mrs. Agnew sold the residence, located on North Mercer, to Marcus and Nell Feuchtwanger. Marcus was the founding President of the B’nai Brith in 1906 and Nell was the first President of New Castle’s section of the National Council of Jewish Women. In 1926, the Feuchtwangers were instrumental in the establishment of the Temple Israel (also located in the North Hill Historic District), where Marcus served as its first President. We proudly note that in 1938, Marcus was a founding member of the Lawrence County Historical Society. He also served as a board member of the New Castle Savings & Trust and Standard
Brewing Company. On November 24, 1922, The Feuichtwangers sold the property to Dr. & Mrs. Eliah
& Ina Rabinowitz Kaplan. Dr. Kaplan immigrated to New Castle from Poland in 1903. He graduated from New Castle High School in 1909 and continued his
education at Jefferson Medical School in Philadelphia, where he graduated in 1913. He served as President of the Lawrence County Medical Society in 1923. He
practiced as a medical protessional until his death. On May 25, 1964, the property was transferred to Dr. & Mrs. Kaplan’s step-son, Bernard Shulman a.k.a. Bart Lytton of Los Angeles, California. Lytton was a well- know financier, political fundraiser and founder of Lytton Savings and Loans, once one of the largest savings and loans in the United States. He played a significant role in John F. Kennedy’s 1960 presidential election. He was also well-known for his alignment with the Communist Party, about which he publicly testified in front of the House Committee on Un-American Activities in 1953. He was a significant patron of the arts, notable as a supporter of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
and later tounder ot the Lytton Center tor the Visual Arts. After Lytton’s death in 1969, the property transferred to his daughter, Timothea Lytton Stewart. Timothea trained at L’Ecole Nationale des Beaux Arts, had her work featured in several international exhibitions, and is still an active artist in Los Angles. On October 30, 1979, the property was transferred from Timothea Lytton Stewart to Norman A. Barilla on June 10, 1993, Barilla sold the property to the
United Way ot Lawrence County, The property has been identified as a contributing structure to the North Hill Historic District, and it retains nearly all of its original architectural detailing,
reflective ot a Victorian family home, The United Way Renovation Committee consists of Doug Mciltrot, Chairperson, Holland Mortgage Advisors, Andrew Henley, New Castle Library, Diane Coury Jacobs, Interior Designer, Scott Gibson, GRE Services, Jeff Young, Columbia Gas of
Pennsylvania, and Terri Stramba, Stramba Fiber Mill Studio.