Welcome to Portersville, Pennsylvania
founded circa 1796; incorporated 1844
history
When reading about old roads in Portersville, it can be helpful to understand that road designations have changed. When route numbers were first applied, 422 badging was applied to existing roads. The road from today's Atrium on New Castle Road, was first called 422. In Portersville, it turned right at route 19 and followed the same route for three miles until it turned west at Fisher's Dairy, just north of Dixie Inn. The number 488 was used for a road terminating in Portesville and going north, past Portersville Railroad Station, and north to today's 108 (at the old Dairy Queen). Circa 1950, a new 422 was created to straighten the road and Portersville, 3 miles to the north as it does today. 488 was rebadged, taking over the road from Prospect to Portersville, then turning west to Ellwood City. Old 488 eventually was renamed West Park Road with further deviations when Moraine State Park was created.
HERE'S WHERE BUTLER COUNTY'S GREATEST MOVING OPERATION WILL BEGIN SOON
from the Butler Eagle, undated
Here you get a glimpse of the main street of Portersville before the largest moving operation in the history of Butler County launched to make way for a four-lane highway or street, through the neighboring borough.
Bids for moving the 21 buildings on the east side of this street, will be opened at a meeting of the borough council in the Prior garage, Portersville, next Monday night.
The improvement of the highway has been launched to relieve the unusually heavy traffic occasioned through the borough by reason of the main street providing the cartway for two highly important highways, Routes 422 and Perry Highway, or Route 19.
The picture was taken at the point where the Perry Highway meets Route 422, or the Butler-New Castle road, on this side of Portersville. The newly constructed highway will be four lanes wide from the point in the picture to the north line of the borough, and continue on as a three-lane highway to the point where the Perry highway takes off from the section to be improved at the Dixie Inn, The county of Butler is joining with the borough and state in financing the improvement.
The large building with the tower, shown above, has had a varied history. It was the IOOF, (Odd Fellows Hall, used for Portersville High School (note bell tower), a recreational boat store that closed in the 1970s, then Abundance which was a gift shop operated by Vivienne McGee. Today it houses WNA Engineering. Notice that it is very close to the road. All but one house from the intersection of today's 488 and 19, and continuing north to the driveway to Portersville Presbyterian, were moved back. The one not moved, was already set back enough.