Bathhouse roof replacement capping off years-long Central City park renovation

May 2—CENTRAL CITY, Pa. — For decades, the shiplap building in the heart of Central City Recreational Park served as a swimming pool bathhouse.

Work was underway Wednesday on a project that could give new life to the 100-year-old building.

Through a series of donations and local partnerships, a Windber contractor was replacing roofing on all four of the site's remaining structures, including a former bathhouse, pavilions and public restrooms, Central City Christmas in the Park group co-founder Jennifer Jarvis said.

"The old pool building is the only original remaining structure to the park," Jarvis said.

"This was the last project we had to finish our work upgrading the Central City park."

The volunteer group has been busy for years, upgrading pavilions, adding new playground equipment and working with the borough to spruce up the Chestnut Street park.

Central City's swimming pool has been gone for decades and the adjacent bathhouse hasn't been used for much other than storage since, she said.

Jarvis said she hopes to see the space advertised to groups to rent for special events, perhaps even community dances.

But first, it needs stabilized, she added.

A crew from Red Beard Handyman & Home Repair, of Windber, was on site Wednesday, installing new metal roofing on some of the structures.

The company's founder, Brett Miller, said work will be done to reinforce old support beams that stabilize the old bathhouse building's roof before its roofing is replaced.

"They aren't going to have to worry about this building for another 50 years now," Miller said.

He said his company was glad to help, saying they agreed to do the work at a reduced price to lend a hand.

VFW Post 7547 donated $8,000 in materials needed to cover all four structures with metal roofing, Jarvis said.

Jarvis said a local woman, Jody Levernight, donated the cost to do the labor in memory of her mother, a Central City native.

"It's a miracle the way things came together down there (at the park). So many people came through for us in the clutch," Jarvis said.

Nearby, Central City Youth League is also adding a batting cage at the park. Work was underway on the project Wednesday.

A community event is being planned this summer to highlight the Central City Recreation Park's completion, Jarvis said.

The Christmas in the Park group — which initially formed more than five years ago to decorate the public space for the holidays — is aiming to have a park rededication in July to show the public everything that has been accomplished, she said.

It will likely include a community picnic.

"We're so excited," Jarvis said. "We're almost to the finish line."