Visiting Historic Westminster College in New Wilmington

A few months ago we took a road trip through western Pennsylvania and spent some time in the charming town called New Wilmington. If you've never visited this part of Pennsylvania before, you're in for a real treat! New Wilmington sits about 50 miles north of Pittsburgh and about 80 miles south of Erie. It's a small college town that's nestled in the heart of Amish country.

Located in New Wilmington you'll find the historic Westminster College which is a private liberal arts college that offers 40 degrees to its undergraduate and graduate students. The college was built in 1852 and is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. Currently the college offers programs and studies to approximately 1,300 students and is situated on 300 acres of land.

The school offers a 12:1 teacher/student ratio with opportunities to study abroad. If you're into athletics, they sponsor 20 varisty sports and more than 80 clubs for students to join. You can opt to live on campus or off. One of the things that I found fascinating is that the majority of their students are female, about 58%. Wow! That's amazing!

We spent a few days in New Wilmington and stumbled upon Westminster College while we were there. Up until then, I had never heard of the college. Now that we have, we're hoping our granddaughter will give it some consideration when she's thinking about going to college within the next 5-6 years. It seems like a really nice school.

Located near the college you'll find the official Westminster College Historical Marker which reads as follows:

Westminster College Historical Marker

Founded by the Associate, now United Presbyterian, Church. Chartered 1852. One of first two colleges in Pennsylvania to grant degrees to women, and the first to grant them the A. B. degree, in 1857.

By: 1949 by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

Location of Historical Marker: at the intersection of Neshannock Avenue (Pennsylvania Route 208) and North Market Street (Pennsylvania Route 158), on the right when traveling west on Neshannock Avenue.

We enjoyed spending a weekend in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania and if you're looking for a place to stay while visiting the area, we recommend The Jaqueline House - Bed and Breakfast which is located nearby.