This building may have more historical significance than there appears, and also could be one of the oldest from what remains of Wick Borough. As people pass by today it may be hard to imagine what an important part it played when the development of Wick Borough was taking place. 300-400 people worked across the tracks in the Wick Pottery and the Kittanning Plate Glass Company. This will become the area of the new YMCA and the area that continue north to Ewing Street.
In the 1919 Polk Directory Daniel T. Fridena is listed as the manager of the Kittanning Macaroni Factory which was then 1190 N. Grant Ave. and also listed it as his residence. Several other members of this family are listed as living there as well. I’ve traced some of this family to the Indiana, PA area, and at a later point to state of Nevada. Even not long ago remnants of the furnaces were located in the basement.
In the lot map of Wick/Hileman/Wick from 1900, this building is shown as the School House. The area of Wick Borough was Rayburn Township before becoming it’s own borough. There are articles that this was used as Wick Borough’s City Hall till 1914 when Wick Borough merged with Kittanning Borough. In the 1900 court application for Wick Borough, it stated that elections will be held at the brick school.
No doubt before the turn of the century this would have been a state-of-the-art building when students were evolving from a one-room school buildings. Here are some early students before moving to Fourth Ward School. Blanche Riegard Yount is marked with an x.
Currently used as apartments, it is commonly called by locals as the “Macaroni Factory”.
The Macaroni Factory…..you either lived there, or you know someone who did!!!
The weekly The Northwestern Miller mentioned the “new” macaroni factory in Kittanning in 1916.
https://books.google.com/books?id=jnJZAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA515&lpg=PA515&dq=kittanning+macaroni+factory&source=bl&ots=b9TYUU5uF2&sig=CGw0GZXznRG440haz8ETVps-RMM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwid9JWn1u_QAhVX-mMKHVFcCg8Q6AEIOjAF#v=onepage&q=kittanning%20macaroni%20factory&f=false
From deeds housed in the Armstrong County Courthouse, it appears that the property was purchased in 1921 by Fred Golla, Adolfo Golla, and Fiosentino Pasi of Kittanning, Armstrong County, from Fred Piazzaa of West Monterey, Clarion County. The eight school rooms were each divided into four room apartments. The building remained in the hands of Mrs. Fred Golla until her death in 1979.
I grew up in the macaroni factory and lived next door to the Adolph Golla family and the Fred Golla Factory
Adolph would bake home bread and make homemade spaghetti and ravioli in the ovens in basement…the Golla family’s and the Sacco family would make wine in basement…they also owned the beer distributor in the alley…Leno and Eddie Golla where the wick city boys everyone knows..even today
This is so awesome I love hearing about my Hometown that I’m so proud of and tell anyone who wants to hear about my little town I moved away in 1979 but still have alot of family in the area thank you for the pics and stories