An expanded network of trails, multiple parking areas and an enlarged farm stand space along Route 30 are elements of a preliminary master plan the Westmoreland Land Trust unveiled this week for its St. Xavier Nature Preserve in Unity. About 25 people turned out for a Wednesday afternoon gathering to view and comment on the plan, and more were expected for an evening session.
Richard Stoner, a photographer who lives near Pleasant Unity, was pleased to hear that the land trust intends to develop more trails, as long as they include signs to help orient those hiking at the 248-acre site of a former Catholic academy and convent. “It’s very convenient for recreation opportunities for walking and contemplation,” Stoner said of the preserve, which he’s explored with his wife, Eileen. “Just so you don’t get lost in the fields.
“Last fall, we took some preliminary walks, as much as we could without developed trails completed, and we enjoyed it. It’s wonderful to have these spaces where you can get away and slow down for a minute.” Landscape architect Richard Rauso, who is working with a land trust steering committee to develop the master site plan, said the preserve eventually could have a network of trails that would offer visitors walks of various lengths.
“They would wind through the property in a series of loops, depending on how ambitious you are,” he said. Executive Director Betsy Aiken said the land trust’s intent is to improve public access to the site, which is bisected by St. Xavier Road, while emphasizing its natural appeal.
Seven sections of the preserve have been planted with native wildflowers while 2,380 trees and more than 600 shrubs were added to create a buffer area along waterways that cross the site — Monastery Run and its tributaries. “We want to preserve the ecological value of the property and even enhance it where we can,” Aiken said. “We also want to make it friendly to visitors.
We want to establish some parking areas and some (handicapped-accessible) walkways.” Rauso said a parking area has been proposed for visitors to Bellbrook, a restored three-story Civil War-era home that was used as a guest house by the Sisters of Mercy. The group of religious women hailing from Ireland founded the academy in the 19th century and transferred ownership of the site to the land trust in August 2022.
That lot also would provide parking for visitors who want to walk in The Grove, on the opposite side of St. Xavier Road. Paved lanes remain there among trees that were planted by the former academy students.
Additional parking proposed at the location of a former maintenance building could serve as a trailhead for the preserve’s more rustic paths, Rauso said. The trail system could connect to a small parking area along eastbound Route 30 — a short distance east from St. Xavier Road, where a farm stand offers seasonal produce including sweet corn and pumpkins.
If that area were expanded, it might be suitable for a small farmers market with room for multiple vendors, Rauso said. The academy and convent were destroyed by fire in 1972, but planners intend to honor those institutions’ legacies as part of the preserve. Portions of the property also have been farmed.
The Rev. Earl Henry used to teach a course on religion at the academy and now serves on the board of nearby Saint Vincent College. He said he’s happy to see that the property will remain intact as a reminder of the many years when it was home to the Sisters of Mercy and their students, beginning in 1847.
“The sisters cared for the property, resisted development and held on to it for 50 years after the fire,” Henry said. “It’s just a beautiful piece of property and a great public space.” Siblings Marnie Guy and Bill Mehalic, who live on the nearby family farm where they grew up, recalled visiting St.
Xavier as children. “Our great aunt worked here in the infirmary,” Guy said. “She would walk my brother up and he would meet all the sisters.
” They shared memories of some features on the grounds that have been obscured by time and nature — including a youth football field and a pond. They said the pond was located near a cemetery that has been retained by the sisters and is the final resting place for many of their number. Volunteers are working to restore a manmade grotto and rehabilitate a trail leading to the spot that lends itself to spiritual reflection.
It features a central statue of St. Theresa. Unity resident Cindy Lou Fiorina wondered if a former tennis court located in The Grove could be rejuvenated.
An old shuffleboard court is nearby. “I love to come down in the fall and sit under the trees with their yellow and red leaves,” she said. “It’s so mesmerizing.
It’s like an outdoor cathedral.” Stoner said he’d like to have some visual guide, perhaps markings on the ground, to show where the academy school used to stand near The Grove. Aiken said the Land Trust is considering some form of augmented reality to spotlight the site’s former landmarks — perhaps QR codes on signs that visitors could scan with a smartphone to call up images of the academy building and other features.
“It would be a way to share historical information and have a minimal physical impact on the property,” she said. A room fronting the first floor of Bellbrook had served as a small chapel and now will be devoted to displaying artifacts and memorabilia related to the academy and the Sisters of Mercy. Dominic Demangone, who is working for the land trust as an AmeriCorps service member, has been researching the history of the site and taking stock of donated items.
The Bellbrook display includes a badge once worn by an academy student, a diploma from the last graduating class in 1972 and handwritten correspondence from the sisters. A railroad pass with multiple punches documents repeated trips to the academy from Greensburg to nearby Beatty Station in 1889. “We’re trying to piece everything together,” Demangone said.
“We’re still getting things in.”.
