Support this Diner ! We moved it!
Donation protected
This classic 1950’s stainless steel diner is at its new home in Irwin PA. We moved it on Friday April 21,2017; we saved it from being scrapped !
We need to pay for the site prep, the move and the renovation as a seating area for the theater concessions. Click the ‘Donate Now’ button.
HOW WE WILL USE THE MONEY
We now own the 1951 DeRaffele Diner. We need to pay the cost to move it ( $18,000) , the site preparation ( $10,000 ) , then connection of utilities and install HVAC ( $8,000 ) and refurbishing the interior( $12,000 ) to make it operational as indoor seating for the adjacent theater concessions.
THE DINER AND THE LAMP THEATER
The Diner will be installed next to the newly-renovated, community-owned Lamp Theater. It is needed as indoor seating for patrons consuming theater concessions. The remainder of the empty lot will become a courtyard with outdoor seating for theater patrons. The Diner will overlook the courtyard and be a unique centerpiece of the community revitalization.
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION SO FAR
The Irwin PA effort is led by volunteers who are passionate about preserving the history and heritage of small towns and their Main Streets. These people reconstructed the 80-year-old Lamp Theater into a state-of-the-art, multi-use, intimate, 350 seat venue with new seats, new bathrooms, new sound system, new stage, new everything. The nonprofit theater opened on-schedule in August 2015 and regularly offers live music, comedy, theater productions, children’s plays, ballet, and movies. It is a new cultural arts destination for all of Western Pennsylvania.
SOME HISTORY OF IRWIN AS ‘MAIN STREET USA’
Irwin was founded in 1853 as a station along the new Pennsylvania Railroad mainline. It was the center of commerce and entertainment twenty miles east of Pittsburgh. The downtown developed into a classic Main Street with theaters, drugstores, restaurants. A 5&10c store and shops. In 2006 the town embarked on a revitalization project to renovate building facades, rebuild old sidewalks and create events to bring families onto Main Street. In 2013 the community pulled together to reconstruct the Lamp Theater. In 2016, 37,000 people attended 15 outdoor events on Main Street; 9,900 people went to shows at The Lamp. The Diner and Courtyard are the next puzzle piece for ‘the Biggest Little Town in Pennsylvania.’
WHO WE ARE
Hard-working volunteers make up The Irwin Project Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, registered in Pennsylvania since 2006. Forms for your tax-deductible contribution are available upon request.
HELP US NOW
We know how to get this done. Help us preserve diner memories and make Irwin a fun palce to visit.
Press the DONATE button.
We need to pay for the site prep, the move and the renovation as a seating area for the theater concessions. Click the ‘Donate Now’ button.
HOW WE WILL USE THE MONEY
We now own the 1951 DeRaffele Diner. We need to pay the cost to move it ( $18,000) , the site preparation ( $10,000 ) , then connection of utilities and install HVAC ( $8,000 ) and refurbishing the interior( $12,000 ) to make it operational as indoor seating for the adjacent theater concessions.
THE DINER AND THE LAMP THEATER
The Diner will be installed next to the newly-renovated, community-owned Lamp Theater. It is needed as indoor seating for patrons consuming theater concessions. The remainder of the empty lot will become a courtyard with outdoor seating for theater patrons. The Diner will overlook the courtyard and be a unique centerpiece of the community revitalization.
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION SO FAR
The Irwin PA effort is led by volunteers who are passionate about preserving the history and heritage of small towns and their Main Streets. These people reconstructed the 80-year-old Lamp Theater into a state-of-the-art, multi-use, intimate, 350 seat venue with new seats, new bathrooms, new sound system, new stage, new everything. The nonprofit theater opened on-schedule in August 2015 and regularly offers live music, comedy, theater productions, children’s plays, ballet, and movies. It is a new cultural arts destination for all of Western Pennsylvania.
SOME HISTORY OF IRWIN AS ‘MAIN STREET USA’
Irwin was founded in 1853 as a station along the new Pennsylvania Railroad mainline. It was the center of commerce and entertainment twenty miles east of Pittsburgh. The downtown developed into a classic Main Street with theaters, drugstores, restaurants. A 5&10c store and shops. In 2006 the town embarked on a revitalization project to renovate building facades, rebuild old sidewalks and create events to bring families onto Main Street. In 2013 the community pulled together to reconstruct the Lamp Theater. In 2016, 37,000 people attended 15 outdoor events on Main Street; 9,900 people went to shows at The Lamp. The Diner and Courtyard are the next puzzle piece for ‘the Biggest Little Town in Pennsylvania.’
WHO WE ARE
Hard-working volunteers make up The Irwin Project Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, registered in Pennsylvania since 2006. Forms for your tax-deductible contribution are available upon request.
HELP US NOW
We know how to get this done. Help us preserve diner memories and make Irwin a fun palce to visit.
Press the DONATE button.
Organizer and beneficiary
John Irwin
Organizer
Irwin, PA
Deborah Kelly
Beneficiary
