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Sewickley Secrets

Cover of the Booklet Sewickley Secrets

Sewickley Secrets Walking Tour

Discover the hidden history of Sewickley, Pennsylvania.
This self-guided walking tour uncovers some of the village’s lesser-known stories: a train station with its own twists, more than one mysterious mattress fire, forgotten founding families, and lives cut tragically short. Along the way, you’ll hear about secret tunnels and long-buried scandals that still linger beneath Sewickley’s polished surface.

What’s Included:

  • A printed or downloadable booklet with directions and stops

  • Archival photos, clippings, and research from local sources

  • Tales of mystery, mischief, and everyday life in Sewickley’s past

How It Works:
Start at the corner of Broad and Bank and follow the booklet step by step. Each of the fourteen stops shares a story drawn from historic newspapers, local archives, and oral history. Some stops highlight architecture, others uncover tragedies or legends that linger.

Why Sewickley Secrets?
Sewickley has always been more than a quiet river town. Its streets hold stories of prosperity and loss, distant memories, eccentric characters, and remarkable women and men who shaped the valley. This tour is designed to bring those voices back into the present.

Get the Booklet

Order your copy of Sewickley Secrets here:

  • Print Edition: $15 — a spiral-bound guide you can carry on your walk.

  • Digital PDF: $8 — download instantly to your phone or tablet.

[Buy the Booklet →]

About the Author

Sewickley Secrets was researched and written by Meghan Snatchko, a writer and walker who has explored every street in Pittsburgh. Her work blends archival research, photography, and storytelling to uncover the overlooked details of local history.

Follow Meghan, aka GetLostPGH on Facebook and Instagram 

Sources and Further Reading

Many of the works listed here can be read online or borrowed through your library. Follow the links to explore.

Ancestry.com (Paid) or visit the Sewickley Library in person to access records on library computers at no charge.

Cridlebaugh, Bruce S. “Sewickley Station Ped Tunnel.” PghBridges, 30 July 2002, pghbridges.com/ambridge/0568-4487/sewickleystation_tun.htm.

Dennis, Stephen N., and William J. Penberthy. Historic Houses of the Sewickley Valley. White Oak Publishing, 1996. [Library Catalog]

Ellis, Agnes L. Lights and Shadows of Sewickley Life, Or, Memories of Sweet Valley. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1893. [Full Text] [Library Catalog]

Hardie, Frances C. Sewickley: A History of a Valley Community. RR Donnelley Financial, 1998. [Full Text] [Library Catalog]

Moore, Dennison Daniel, and William L. Moore. The Sewickley Caves: Illuminating the Darkness. Sewickley, PA: Sewickley Valley Historical Society, 2010. [Library Catalog] [Copies available for purchase at Sewickley Valley Historical Society]

Nevin, Franklin Taylor. The Village of Sewickley. Sewickley, Pa.: The Sewickley Herald, 1978. [Full Text] [Library Catalog]

Newspapers.com (Paid)

Semple, Harton. History of the Sewickley Valley Found in Sewickley Cemetery. 5th ed., revised, edited and designed by Susan Holton, Sewickley Cemetery, 2019. [Library Catalog] [Copies available for purchase at Sewickley Valley Historical Society]

Sewickley Herald Digital Access

Sewickley Public Library History Room and sewickleylibrary.org.

Sewickley Valley Historical Society Archive and sewickleyhistory.org.