New History Resources
New Items for All Local History Lovers!
The History Walk Book Collection
$175.00
Own the complete Sharon History Walk collection and save with this special offer featuring all 18 collectible booklets. Celebrated for our engaging Downtown Sharon History Walks, each booklet is filled with photos and stories that span centuries, covering the city’s historic downtown, neighborhoods, landmarks, and more. Explore Sharon, Pennsylvania’s past—from its booming industrial era to the architecture that still defines it today. Discover the vibrant communities, notable figures, and rich heritage that shaped the city. Whether you’re a longtime resident or first-time visitor, this full set makes a perfect gift and offers a fascinating journey through Sharon’s unique history.
The Magic City: The Mills, Men, & Homes of a Company Town Forged in Steel
$30.00
In the early 20th century, skeptics doubted the longevity of South Sharon—now Farrell, Pennsylvania—calling it a fleeting “Magic City” born of a steel boom. Amid overcrowded boarding houses and an influx of immigrant laborers, rapid growth led many to believe its rise was temporary. They underestimated the strength of steel and of the men who made it. South Sharon gained notoriety as headquarters of the Italian Black Hand Society, and in 1919, violence erupted during the Great Steel Strike. This is the story of Sharon Steel Corporation, the people who built it, and the homes they lived in—shaping a lasting legacy in Western Pennsylvania’s industrial heartland.
Vintage Throwback Sharon Tigers T-Shirt
$25.00 - $28.00
To celebrate the release of Pads of Glory: 125 Years of the Sharon High School Football Tradition, we’re offering a limited-edition, vintage-style Sharon Tigers t-shirt. Featuring a 1960s-era tiger design from school memorabilia, it was created by Society board member John Zavinski and printed by Gorilla Joe Printing in Youngstown, Ohio. Made with 100% U.S. cotton, this Gildan® Heavy Cotton shirt offers improved printability, softness, and comfort. It features a classic fit, rib collar, taped neck and shoulders, and a tear-away label. Available in Adult Small to 3XL. Nonrefundable and nonreturnable.
Iconic Architecture
As soon as you arrive in downtown Sharon, your mind begins to imagine all the history that has taken place here over the last 200 or more years. With architecture spanning hundreds of years, Sharon is a guidebook to American architecture from the 1850s to the present day. Greek Revival, Victorian Gothic, Italianate, Second Empire, Richardsonian Romanesque, Queen Anne, Arts and Crafts, Colonial Revival, English Tudor Revival, Craftsman, Art Deco, Mid-Century Modern, and more can be found through the city’s diverse neighborhoods and historic downtown business district.
Engaging Events
Whether you enjoy educational lectures, social events, or historic building tours, it’s our goal to make Sharon’s history accessible to as many people as possible, often at no cost to attendees. We’ve become famous for our Downtown Sharon History Walks, with their collectible booklets of history and photos, which cover all areas of the city, from our historic downtown business district to our distinctive neighborhoods, and span hundreds of years. Young history lovers get to explore local history through our specialized History Walks for the Sharon City School District.
Industry That Built America
From the discovery of coal in the early 1800s to the rise of iron and steel manufacturing in this region a few decades later, Sharon has played an integral part in shaping the future of America. Experience a history of ingenuity and hard work, when products were American-made, and most of the country’s industry was in our region. Sharon and the Shenango Valley were the hub of steel, iron, and transformer manufacturing for decades. Our region had a global influence with its dozens of industrial complexes and steel mills. We built America.
Historic Preservation
The Sharon Historical Society, in partnership with city officials, developers, community members, and other organizations, strives to preserve the city’s historic architecture. Currently, we are working on three initiatives: interpretative signage for high foot-trafficked areas to give historical context to the city, its buildings, and landscape, Historic Districts for the city’s downtown and notable neighborhoods, and our Historic Landmark Program which will allow building owners and homeowners to apply to be declared a historic landmark based on architectural style, historical significance, or both.
