downtown bedford inc
downtown bedford inc
downtown bedford inc
downtown bedford inc
downtown bedford inc
downtown bedford inc
downtown bedford inc
downtown bedford inc



About Us

   
 
Our Mission Statement
 
 
DBI promotes the revitalization of Historic Bedford as a retail, community and service center to bring downtown economic prosperity.
 
     

Corporate Sponsors
 
   
   
   

   
Board of Directors - Officers - Meets the fourth Wednesday of each month at 8:00 am at the DBI office
   
     
    Melinda Foor Office Staff (non-board member)  
   
Chairman
   
Vice Chair
Bedford Burger King
   
Treasurer
   
Secretary
Borough Council
         
   
Board of Directors
   
   
     
    Altoona First Savings Bank  
   
     
   
Mortimer Electric, Inc.
 
   
Chair of Design Committee
 
   
Economic Restructuring Committee
   
   
Sean Bardell
   
   
     
   
* Ex-Officio Members
 
   
   
Organizational Committee - Meets the first Wednesday of the month at 11:30 am. Location TBA
   
Recruiting new members, public awareness of DBI, media relations, long-term financial planning, governing of the board.
 
         
   
Allen Harr (Co-Chair)
 
   
LaRhonda Batzel (Co-Chair)
 
     
   
Beverly Stanton
 
   
Mortimer Electric, Inc.
 
   
Winning Strategies in Marketing
   
Hot Buns Bakery Co.
 
    Reed, Wertz & Roadman  
   
Tina Boozer
         
   
Promotions Committee - Meets the first Tuesday of the month at 8:00 am. Location TBA
   
Consists of special events, retail promotions, advertising and general image of DBI.
         
   
Keith Landis (Co-Chair)
 
   
Elaine Housel (Co-Chair)
 
   
Volunteer
 
     
     
   
Doug's Antiques
 
     
     
   
Cessna Communications
 
   
   
Mary Davis
 
         
   
Design Committee - Meets the Thursday after the 1st Monday of the month at 11:00 at the DBI Office
   
Steering streetscape plan, facade grants, visual merchandising, and analyzing space utilization.
         
   
Skip Rothfuss (Co-Chair)
Retired - Volunteer
 
   
Steve George (Co-Chair)
Retired - Volunteer
 
   
Penelec
 
   
Bedford Borough Manager
 
   
American Chrome Plating
 
   
   
   
   
State Farm Insurance
 
    Knisely & Sons, Inc  
         
   
Economic Restructuring - Meets the 3rd Thursday of the month at 8:30 am at the DBI Office
   
Business retention, controlling property inventories, filling empty storefronts, e-commerce, and grant programs.
 
         
   
Jim Wehling (Chair)
Retired - Volunteer
 
     
     
   
Volunteer
 
   
Retired - Volunteer
 
   
Michael Lamb
 
         
 

 
Staff
 
   

Juli Dull is no stranger to downtown Bedford. She graduated from Bedford High School and then worked for a local merchant while in college. She then actually bought the business upon graduating from UPJ with a degree in Business Management. She owned Deepwood Gallery for over 10 years and then sold it to Stan & Tina Howes, who run the shop yet today! Juli's knowledge from being a realtor for SKS/Coldwell Banker Realty has also helped to sculpt her sense for current market values and the quest to work with building owners to fill empty storefronts. Along with the education Juli has learned from her business and realtor backgrounds, she also completed the PA Downtown Center's Community Revitalization Academy and the Bedford County Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Program, both year long programs that have helped her improve the networking skills vital to bring projects and people together! Juli is married with two sons. She is active in many other community activities and feels that if you want to see a difference, you need to be part in making that happen! Email Juli at manager@downtownbedford.com

   
   
   
downtown bedford inc

Melinda Foor is the assistant manager at DBI. She and Juli have worked together for years on many different projects and have a proven record for getting things done! Melinda can be reached at assistant@downtownbedford.com

   
   
 
   
Press Room
   
Check in often at the Press Room for a listing of current and archived press releases highlighting DBI news and events.
   
2011
Omni Bedford Springs & Fall Foliage on the Today Show
Top of the Morning
 
Decor 'N More Opens
 
Variety at Market
 
Concert in the Shade
 
Fireworks Return to Bedford
 
Recognition at Bedford Elks
 
Jim Gonsman named Bedford Rotary's 2011 Citizen of the Year
April Fools!
"Outrageous Food" Films Bad Boyz
     
2010
Volunteers Needed to Decorate Downtown
 
Christmas Can Be a Tall Order
 
Mom Springs Eternal...a Rejuvenating Retreat to Bedford Springs
 
Springs Old Course on Golfweek Top 100 Again
Downtown Project to be Funded by Sale of Brick Pavers
 
Donations to Agency Mitten Tree
 
Tale of Two Towns - published in PA Pursuits Magazine
 
Bedford, PA - published in Philadelphia Magazine
 
From WPIX Channel 11 News
 
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
     
2009

Downtown Bedford, Inc. receives 2009
National Trust Main Street Accredatation
 
Markers Point Way for Trail
 
 
Farmers Market Season Opens
 
 
Antiques Draw Tourists, Locals
 
 
Tax Credit Grants Fund School History Books
 
 
Projects Produce Pride for Residents
 
 
Fun On the Public Squares
 
 
Holiday Decor Goes Up
 
 
Bedford Agrees to Committ $10,000 to DBI
 
     
2008
Festival Continues to Draw Visitors
 
 
Lamppost Work Under Way
 
 
Background Helps Business Advocate
 
 
Many Attend First "Hot" Music
 
 
Bike Racks, New Trail, Coming to Bedford
 
 
Downtown Bedford Preparing For Influx of Bike Race Visitors
 
 
Bedford Group Receives Streetscape Funding
 
 
Council Agress to Ordinance on Sales
 
 
After School Students Paint, Plant Buckets for Bedford Planters
 
 
Borough Considers Alcohol at "Events"
 
 
Bedford Lamp Posts Arrive
 
   
 

   
 
History
             
   

Originally called Raystown, Bedford was settled about 1751 and laid out in 1766. Bedford was incorporated on March 13, 1795.

For many years it was an important frontier military post. The Espy House in Bedford is notable for having been the headquarters of George Washington and his force of 13,000 while putting down the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794.

In 1758 the British Army came to Raystown to set up a fort. The fort was named Fort Bedford, for the politically powerful Duke of Bedford in England. Some believe this is how the town later got its name. Fort Bedford was built as one of the many British Army stepping stones through the state leading to the forks of the Ohio River; the other side of the forks was dominated by Indians. The British used the fort to drive out the French to ensure the new continent would be English-speaking. The fort was later a safe house for settlers escaping Indian raids. Fort Bedford was “liberated” ten years before the Revolution by American rebels, James Smith's Black Boys, and was the first fort taken from the British. The fort later collapsed and was reconstructed in 1958.

George Washington marched his army to Bedford in 1794 to subdue the Whiskey Rebellion. There was much more at stake than quieting the uprising of rebels angered by a tax on whiskey; Washington felt the constitution itself was at risk. The rebellion mainly consisted of farmers who learned they could earn more selling whiskey instead of grain. The Rebellion spread fast and when it reached Pittsburgh they almost burnt the city to the ground. Anarchy was on its way; the British and French watched every move hoping they could come back and take over. Washington knew he had to act and make a statement; the laws of America would be obeyed. 12,950 militiamen were called to Bedford leaving the rebels without many choices. One historian later stated, “It was at Bedford that the new federal government was finally to establish itself as sovereign in its own time and place.

Bedford, at one time, was famous for its medicinal springs. There is a mineral spring, a chalybeate spring, a limestone spring, a sulfur spring and two sweet springs. In the year 1804, a mechanic from Bedford, Jacob Fletcher, drank some of the water. The rheumatic pains and ulcers he had been suffering from troubled him less that night. From then on he often drank from the spring and soaked his limbs in the water. In a few weeks he was entirely cured. News spread and the “healing springs” quickly became popular.

The finding of the curative springs led Dr. John Anderson to purchase the nearby land and build a spa in 1804. Due to the lack of medicines in that time, people from great distances flocked to the hotel in search of a cure for their illness. The Bedford Springs Hotel was the first place in America to have an Olympic sized pool. President James Buchanan also made it his “summer White House”. While Buchanan was there the first trans-Atlantic cable message was sent to his room from Queen Victoria on August 17, 1858. The hotel, in 1855, also housed the only Supreme Court hearing ever to be held outside of the capital.

Chalybeate Springs Hotel, along with the nearby Bedford Springs Hotel, were popular resorts during the 19th century among the wealthy. President James Buchanan used Bedford Springs as his summer White House. Other notable visitors to Bedford Springs included William Henry Harrison, James Polk, Zachary Taylor, and Thaddeus Stevens. Rutherford B. Hayes, and Benjamin Harrison visited Chalybeate Springs Hotel, as did many other notable people.

U.S. Route 30, also known as the Lincoln Highway, passes through Bedford. Up until the opening of the Pennsylvania Turnpike in 1940, U.S. Route 30 was key east-west route connecting Philadelphia to the west. In 1927, David Koontz built a coffee pot-shaped building, which was originally a diner. This building, a landmark in Bedford, was moved in 2003 to the Bedford County Fairgrounds.

 

 
   
 
Please call Juli at the DBI office or email: manager@downtownbedford.com for more information on any of the DBI committees and their functions. Everyone is welcome!
     
   
       
Brochure of Historic Bedford
   
   
Brochures of Historic Bedford are available through the DBI office. If you would like a brochure for yourself, or bundles of them to pass out at your business, you can call us with your request at (814) 623-0048 or submit the form provided below and we will be glad to get them to you.
   
Name
Street Address
City
State
Zip
Telephone #
Email Address
How many copies would you like?
   
     
   
 
Please come visit us in historic downtown Bedford, PA. Click on the Bedford County region at right which will link you to Google Maps. Personalize directions to the downtown area from your location.








 
 
 
Downtown Bedford, Inc. - P.O. Box 286 - 124 South Juliana Street - Bedford, PA - Phone/Fax 814.623.0048