Manor in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

From Manor Station to a Stormwater Control Parking Lot

Photographed by Bradley Owen, April 9, 2025

1. From Manor Station to a Stormwater Control Parking Lot Marker

Inscription.

From Manor Station to a Stormwater Control Parking Lot. . History. Manor Borough was incorporated in 1890. It had its own railroad stop named, "Manor Station". The main line of the Pennsylvania Railroad was built in 1852 and runs from Manor Borough into North Huntingdon Township. The Pennsylvania Railroad was a pioneering railroad through this part of the state and helped develop the southwestern PA coal industry. Norfolk Southern now owns the railroad. Manor may not exist if there were no railroads or mines in that area. Above is a picture of Manor Station as an active train station. This sign is attached to the last remaining piece of the old railroad station, which is called a "buffer stop" or "bumper". Its purpose was to prevent the trains from going past the end of the track., The Problem with Stormwater Runoff. The issue with older buildings is that they don't have any practices implemented to help with stormwater. Just about every drop of rain that hits a paved surface "runs off" somewhere. Rain can't penetrate hard surfaces such as concrete, brick, or asphalt. Stormwater then starts running downhill, following the pull of gravity, until it finds a place it can sink into like a storm sewer or a patch of grass. The bigger the paved surface (e.g. a large parking lot) the more water runs off. Large volumes of water can move very fast and present problems such as erosion in a natural area and flooding in a developed area. Water runoff also causes problems for the health of our waterways. The runoff from paved surfaces can pick up pollutants including oil, gasoline, anti-freeze, fertilizers, pesticides, and road salt as it travels along. These pollutants then move their way into streams and rivers. Most of these problems are eliminated when we use materials that give rainwater, melting snow, and ice an opportunity to sink into the ground. An added benefit of allowing water to infiltrate into the ground, is that it also replenishes the groundwater table. The importance of this is because a large amount of people get their water from wells or "groundwater"., How Did We Manage Stormwater?. Rain gardens are low points in the landscape which are designed to capture stormwater runoff from a roof, driveway, parking lot, and/or street. It uses mulch, soil mix, clean stone, and deep-rooted native plants to capture, absorb, and infiltrate stormwater. You might see water collecting on the surface of the garden, but don't worry. The water will drain into the ground before mosquitoes can breed. Rain gardens filter out pollutants that may be in runoff, create habitat for wildlife, and add beauty to the landscape. Above is an animated depiction of how a rain garden works., Permeable pavers were added to allow the stormwater to infiltrate through the cracks between the pavers into the underlying soil., Concrete curbs and curb cuts allow stormwater to run from the parking lot to the rain garden., Native trees and shrubs were planted to help promote infiltration. Native tree and shrub plantings include American Redbud, Flowering Dogwood, and Arrowwood Viburnum. After the stormwater practices were completed, new parking lines were painted. The Manor Borough parking lot now demonstrates how to create a parking area that allows rain water to infiltrate into the underlying soil.

History
Manor Borough was incorporated in 1890. It had its own railroad stop named, "Manor Station". The main line of the Pennsylvania Railroad was built in 1852 and runs from Manor Borough into North Huntingdon Township. The Pennsylvania Railroad was a pioneering railroad through this part of the state and helped develop the southwestern PA coal industry. Norfolk Southern now owns the railroad. Manor may not exist if there were no railroads or mines in that area. Above is a picture of Manor Station as an active train station. This sign is attached to the last remaining piece of the old railroad station, which is called a "buffer stop" or "bumper". Its purpose was to prevent the trains from going past the end of the track.

The Problem with Stormwater Runoff
The issue with older buildings is that they don't have any practices implemented to help with stormwater. Just about every drop of rain that hits a paved surface "runs off" somewhere. Rain can't penetrate hard surfaces such as concrete, brick, or asphalt. Stormwater then starts running downhill, following the pull of gravity, until it finds a place it can

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sink into like a storm sewer or a patch of grass. The bigger the paved surface (e.g. a large parking lot) the more water runs off. Large volumes of water can move very fast and present problems such as erosion in a natural area and flooding in a developed area. Water runoff also causes problems for the health of our waterways. The runoff from paved surfaces can pick up pollutants including oil, gasoline, anti-freeze, fertilizers, pesticides, and road salt as it travels along. These pollutants then move their way into streams and rivers.
Most of these problems are eliminated when we use materials that give rainwater, melting snow, and ice an opportunity to sink into the ground. An added benefit of allowing water to infiltrate into the ground, is that it also replenishes the groundwater table. The importance of this is because a large amount of people get their water from wells or "groundwater".

How Did We Manage Stormwater?
Rain gardens are low points in the landscape which are designed to capture stormwater runoff from a roof, driveway, parking lot, and/or street. It uses mulch, soil mix, clean stone, and deep-rooted native

Photographed by Bradley Owen, April 9, 2025

2. From Manor Station to a Stormwater Control Parking Lot Marker

The marker is attached to the last remaining piece of the old railroad station, which is called a "buffer stop" or "bumper" whose purpose was to prevent the trains from going past the end of the track.

plants to capture, absorb, and infiltrate stormwater. You might see water collecting on the surface of the garden, but don't worry. The water will drain into the ground before mosquitoes can breed. Rain gardens filter out pollutants that may be in runoff, create habitat for wildlife, and add beauty to the landscape. Above is an animated depiction of how a rain garden works.

Permeable pavers were added to allow the stormwater to infiltrate through the cracks between the pavers into the underlying soil.

Concrete curbs and curb cuts allow stormwater to run from the parking lot to the rain garden.

Native trees and shrubs were planted to help promote infiltration. Native tree and shrub plantings include American Redbud, Flowering Dogwood, and Arrowwood Viburnum.
After the stormwater practices were completed, new parking lines were painted. The Manor Borough parking lot now demonstrates how to create a parking area that allows rain water to infiltrate into the underlying soil.

Erected by The Richard King Mellon Foundation and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

Topics. This historical marker is listed

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in these topic lists: Environment • Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1890.

Location. 40° 19.973′ N, 79° 40.151′ W. Marker is in Manor, Pennsylvania, in Westmoreland County. It is on Main Street south of Elsie Court, on the left when traveling south. Marker is located on a boulder in front of the Manor Borough Building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 56 Main Street, Manor PA 15665, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Laurel Highlands

and in Greater Pittsburgh.

It is also in the American Northeast,

in the Mid-Atlantic,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Manor Memorial Garden (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Westmoreland City Honor Roll & Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.3 miles away); Biddle Honor Roll (approx. 0.7 miles away); Saint Boniface Military Monument (approx. 0.9 miles away); Adamsburg Community Veterans Memorial (approx. 1.1 miles away); Brush Creek Salem Church (approx. 1.1 miles away); Straw Pump Community Honor Roll (approx. 1.2 miles away); Brush Hill (approx. 1.2 miles away).

Credits. This page was last revised on April 20, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 20, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. This page has been viewed 197 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 20, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia.