Romance is in the county air
Where are romantic places in Butler County?
They could be anywhere. It depends what you consider romantic.
Many are outside locations such as Moraine or McConnells Mill state parks or even the Old Stone House on Route 8 in Brady Township.
According to Pat Collins of the Butler County Historical Society, Butler's Alameda Park always has been a destination for young lovers.
"Back when my parents were young people, in the '40s and '50s, Alameda Park was the place to go. There was picnicking on the lake and skating at the roller rink," Collins said.
She said most teens preferred walking to the park in lieu of riding the trolley. The park at one time boasted a roller rink and a ferris wheel, but both were gone by the mid-1960s.
"There was a time in the '50s, if you went on a date, you went roller skating," Collins said.
"I never knew we had so many roller rinks in downtown Butler"
In addition to Alameda Park, Butler's youth in the 1950s had a choice of Hudson Roller Rink on West Jefferson Street, now a NAPA Auto Parts store; Skateland on Elm Street, now the Grapevine building; and Stoughton's Roller Rink on New Castle Street, now an auto repair garage.
"Then they would head up the road to the drive-in theater, of course," Collins said.
Butler's romantics also delighted in stealing a few moments over a milkshake at Winter's Drugstore, formerly at the corner of New Castle and Main streets, or Davey & Hilliard, a store and malt shop at the corner of West Diamond and South Main streets.
"And Cummings has been here forever, at least since the 1930s," Collins said.
When trying to avoid the crowds, young lovers have flocked to quiet areas of McConnells Mill State Park to picnic or lay on the rocks in the sun.
Young lovers seeking a bit of extra privacy were known to park behind the Oneida Dam on Route 38.
"Of course, you can't go back there now; the police would be there in minutes," Collins said.
The romantic appeal of the Old Stone House as a wedding location is tied in with the history of the landmark.
At least one wedding is held there each year.
"I think people feel comfortable with older things," said John Craig, chairman of the history department of Slippery Rock University which oversees the care of the house.
"It connects them (the wedding couple) to traditional ideas including marriage. It's something their parents did, something their grandparents did."
"The Old Stone House is almost a symbol of the seriousness of it," he added.
The site also offers the natural setting, with woods surrounding the house and grounds.The house, built in the 1820s, has a generally "romantic feeling," about it, said Brandon Downing, graduate assistant for history."There's just a charm, a historic feel," he said. "It's the perfect spot."Some SRU students and alumni have also chosen the Quad at the university as the site for their weddings, according to Diana Dreyer, interim dean for the college of humanities, fine and performing arts. The ground between the library and the surrounding classroom buildings has been the site for a few weddings over the years, she said.Most couples who choose the Quad have strong ties to SRU, making that a romantic spot for them, she added.Jeremy Rekich, assistant manager at Moraine State Park, said many people who have a strong connection to the park itself have chosen to get married in various places there.One couple took a group of their closest family, friends and a minister on a hike and had their service take place at the overlook on the North Country Scenic Trail."A lot of people feel very close to the parks and may have gone on their first date here or received a proposal here, and it is a beautiful resource," Rekich said.He said the park also had three weddings and receptions take place at the former restaurant, which overlooks the lake. Rekich said it is a beautiful spot for a marriage because the side of the building, which faces the lake, has large glass windows.Rekich said many weddings also have taken place at McConnell's Mill.He said many times couples choose to wed in the parks because of their relationships with each other and with the locations themselves."There are other parks too that people feel just as powerful about," Rekich said.David Johnson, manager at Jennings Environmental Education Center, said the prairie is the most popular romantic spot during the spring and summer. He also said four couples got married at different areas in the park last year."I think if you love the outdoors, just the colors lead itself to a romantic atmosphere," Johnson said. "We have small weddings at the park and those are usually people who have a strong connection to the park and the outdoors."He said couples can often gather about 20 guests at a protruding rock on the Black Cherry Trail that overlooks a stream and a bridge. Two of last year's weddings at Jennings took place at a gazebo near wetlands."People look for different atmospheres and some people like a small, quaint place with a look to it, and we attract that crowd," Johnson said.
