Covering more than 100 square miles, St. Marys has the second largest city footprint in Pennsylvania, only behind Philadelphia, and a population of 13,000. It was founded on December 8, 1842. In 1994, the Borough of Saint Marys and Township of Benzinger consolidated to become a third-class city. The city is at a relatively high elevation of 1,666 feet above sea level and is the manufacturing center of Pennsylvania’s Great Outdoors region.

“Some residents of St. Marys may think that Saint Marys is a cumulative result of three distinct economic eras. The first era was not really an economic era, rather it began as a spiritual movement driven by a quest for freedom that witnessed the formation, in 1842, of a predominantly Bavarian Catholic farming commune.
That was followed by a European migration, primarily Bavarian. By 1860, Saint Marys had a population of nearly 2,000 people. Basic industries were beginning to emerge, and the railroad was about to become a reality, which would mean that the village would almost certainly survive.

The second economic era began sometime late in the 19th century.

By the turn of the century, logging and lumbering were booming and as a result, two dynamic energetic individuals who had made their fortunes in the industry were about to launch the third and major era, the industrial era.

Andrew Kaul and J.K.P. Hall established a dominance in lumbering, mining, railroads, banking, and commerce. Late in the century, they decided to sell their mining and railroad interests. In 1898, John Byrne, a western New Yorker, bought these interests for approximately $3,000,000 which he then combined with his railroads in New York forming the P.S. & N. Railroad. Six years later, the P.S. & N. was bankrupt. However, it operated under receivership for the next 43 years, a record for an American bankrupt railroad.

With the receipts from this sale of the mines and railroad, Hall and Kaul were ripe for alternative investments. Speculation has it that they probably thought their future lay in the brewing industry. Shortly thereafter, they invested in the Saint Marys Brewery, now the site of Pure Carbon Company. Fate, however, would chart a far different course. In 1899, Andrew Kaul was convinced by a hunting friend from Sandusky, Ohio that a budding carbon graphite business held a bright future. As a result, Kaul backed John Speer in the formation of the Speer Carbon Company. The new Company manufactured carbon cores and carbon four for the dry cell battery industry. Speer soon developed a similar hunting and fishing friendship with Harry Stackpole, the son-in-law of J.K.P. Hall. Speer convinced Stackpole that a dry cell battery business would be a good investment considering the readily available source of carbon materials. Consequently, in 1906, J.P.K. Hall and Harry Stackpole formed the Stackpole Battery Company.

In the years that followed, the carbon business developed in a spectacular way. Under the leadership of Ben Reuscher, who had worked for Speer Carbon Company, Keystone Carbon Company was organized in 1927. Keystone would go forward as a pioneer in the powder metal industry, an industry that by the late 1960’s would inherit the economic leadership of the community. After World War II, Pure Carbon, Saint Marys Carbon, and National Molded Products were the next companies to be created. By 1992, more than 24 carbon graphite and powder metal companies in Elk County alone could trace their roots back to 1899 and the formation of Speer Carbon Company”. – from the City of St. Marys website

Unlike many downtowns in neighboring counties in Western Pennsylvania that have seen declining main streets, the city’s business district is thriving. The downtown and the “Million Dollar Highway” leading into the city offer hotels, restaurants, cafés, bars, boutiques, various types of retail stores for shopping, and professional offices. Travelers will find about everything that you would expect in a city, but the service is with small town feel and charm.

In addition to dining and shopping, the historic town has many local landmarks for visitors to enjoy. This includes Decker’s Chapel, which was built in 1856. It is one room measuring 12×18 feet. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998 and is one of the smallest churches in the United States.

The Historical Society of St. Marys and Benzinger Township located on Erie Ave has two floors of extensive artifacts dating back to the founding of the area along with wonderful memorabilia from different eras. Individuals can take the St. Marys Historical Walking Tour and learn about the history of the city by following informative plagues while walking through the heart of downtown.

Straub Brewery and their Visitor Center/Tap Room are also a must-see when in Saint Marys. It was founded in 1872 by Peter Straub. It is third oldest brewery in the United States and fiercely independent.

Saint Marys experienced roughly 6% to 7% growth in 2023 according to City Manager Joe Fleming. “It is fun to see the growth and expansion. From the original articles of the City Code to where we are now with the expansion of programs and services. The City is looking to do more by increasing our departments from five to seven. We are very fortunate to have a Mayor and City Council dedicated to its citizens with a city staff working hard every day to make Saint Marys a great place.”

Improvements are being made across the community by the City’s Parks and Recreation Department by the installation of a new “Playland” area along with upgrades to other playground areas. The new Benzinger Park Pedestrian Pathway will be installed in the springtime which will replace an abandoned property that will provide an ease of access to the park for those who wish to walk our neighborhoods. There are plans for an amphitheater in the Downtown Park and in July, the 2024 Little League Minor Softball State Championship will be held at Benzinger Park in St. Marys. Many of our manufacturing facilities are expanding with construction slated to start this year, bringing great job opportunities to the area.

The City of St. Marys Parks and Recreation Department also operates the city swimming pool and hosts/co-hosts many fun events like classes, workshop, movies, the Gingerbread Dash 5K, and the Haunted Forest in October, along with a special event to kick off the Christmas season called “Light Up Night” which is held on Small Business Saturday in November. Mr. Fleming was asked What makes these events and St. Marys special? He replied, “It is the closeness of the community and our sense of family. Each year, every event keeps getting larger. We really enjoy each other, and the events are another reason for families to get together and have fun!”

You can get the latest events and information with the “My St. Marys” App. which is available on Google Play Store or Apple App Store.