Discover Mount Royal Village history through library series

Shaler's Mt. Royal Village has undertaken many manifestations over the years: It has transitioned from a rural, undeveloped plot, to a bustling commuter-filled region and into the suburban neighborhood that exists today.

Hugh Prytherch, Mt. Royal Village resident of 41 years, will explore the area during Shaler North Hills Library's “Let's Talk Local History: Mt. Royal Village” 6:30 p.m. July 16 at Elfinwild Presbyterian Church in Glenshaw.

According to Prytherch, developer Charles Kirschler conceived the neighborhood, spanning from Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church to St. Bonaventure Parish along Mt. Royal Boulevard, in the 1930s. The Great Depression slowed construction, however, so the neighborhood's first resident is said to have not moved in until Dec. 25, 1940. Prytherch lived in that home prior to relocating to his current house, still within the village.

Prytherch's presentation will focus on Kirschler, whose father was the mayor of Allegheny City — now known as the North Side. Even though he was a community developer, Kirschler wanted people to remember him as an executive at the now-defunct St. Francis Hospital in Lawrenceville and Provident Trust Co. bank in Millvale.

“But what he really did was develop a really nice place to live in Shaler Township,” Prytherch said.

Library Director Sharon McRae said the “Let's Talk Local History” series started with the library's “Blast from the Past: A Local History Open House” event in October 2017 featuring historical displays and memorabilia from local organizations, Sen. John Heinz History Center speakers and presentations from local historians in commemoration of the library's 75th anniversary.

Local historian and library board Secretary James Giel then spoke regarding Shaler Area School District in April 2018. McRae said she strives to host the program quarterly.

“(Our) goals always include (to) discover our local historians, get what's in their brains onto paper or audio, find out who has local history stored and somehow get it up on the Shaler Historical Society Facebook page so it's digitized and people can see it. The best part is the audience pitching in what they know. Priceless!” she said.

Prytherch wrote his presentation after McRae distributed a letter to community members, asking if they had historical information to share in honor of the library's 75th anniversary.

He has gotten to know Mt. Royal Village and its residents through working a daily paper route; he isn't afraid to ask questions about people's homes while walking the streets daily, he said.

Furthermore, he has researched the area through the Glenshaw Public Library and Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society.

“I am a big fan of Shaler North Hills Library. I have given a number of talks where I tell about how it started. I also interviewed a number of people who developed the area — Robert Bliel, he built a number of homes in this area. And also, Etna had a historian, his name was Bill Skertich (former Etna manager).”

An Albany, N.Y., native, Prytherch said that he started researching local history when his three children graduated from Shaler Area High School and left to attend college out of state.

“I had an issue with myself with the separation from them, and I started to write them letters and the letters started to be about what was happening on the old home front and what was happening on Shaler Drive … Since I didn't grow up in this area, I started to learn the history of Shaler Township, the history of Glenshaw, the history of Etna and would impart that in letters to my children.”

Starting in 2005, he served as Shaler Historical Society president for a couple of years.

Now, he looks forward to sharing his knowledge with others during his upcoming presentation.

“It's more than a question and answer process. It'll be a sharing process. I'm anxious to hear what people will have,” Prytherch said.

Erica Cebzanov is a Tribune-Review contributor.