BEDFORD — Incorporated on March 13, 1795, Bedford Borough will celebrate its 230th anniversary next week with a free open-to-the-public mixer featuring tours, commemorative gifts, artifact displays, appetizers and spirited beverages.

“We embrace the past, but we’re also an innovative and creative community that’s always looking toward the future as well,” said Kellie Goodman Shaffer, speaking at a small gathering Thursday in the borough office, where state and local officials gathered to talk about the celebration and to mark the occasion with a cake and candles.

“This is a very special anniversary, not just to honor everything that has happened in the borough to this point, but also to look ahead to the future and all the great things that are on the horizon for our community,” said Shaffer, president and CEO of the Bedford County Chamber of Commerce.

While Bedford County was founded on March 9, 1771, the borough wasn’t incorporated for another 24 years.

Bedford Mayor Bill Leibfreid, who read a proclamation to the small gathering, noted that the borough is in its 230th year while the county is in its 254th year. The United States will be celebrating its 250th anniversary next year.

Leibfreid said it is fitting that all three anniversaries are so close together that they can be celebrated nearly simultaneously.

Bedford Borough is the county seat of Bedford County, nearly centered between Harrisburg (102 miles) and Pittsburgh (107 miles) and encompasses 1.2 square miles.

The borough is steeped in history, having been an important frontier military most and at one time housing the headquarters (the Espy House) of George Washington during the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794, one year before the borough was officially incorporated.

The borough continues to thrive, with those in attendance Thursday remarking on its liveability and growth.

“I am a lifelong Bedford resident and I live and work in the borough,” said Erin Weyant, of state Rep. Jesse Topper’s office. “Multiple generations of my family have been here and been business owners, so it is really special to celebrate a really great milestone. Bedford’s been strong for that many years and we hope it just continues and grows for 230-plus more.”

Borough Council President Tim Weaverling said “it takes a village to make this grow, and we definitely have a strong village.”

Marking the borough’s 230th birthday has been a “long time coming,” Weaverling said, noting that plans were taking shape for the 225th anniversary when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

“That was COVID, and that really changed a lot of things,” Weaverling said.

Borough Manager Barb Diehl “never let that go,” though, Weaverling said. “We wanted to celebrate this, and we did.”

State Sen. Pat Stefano, R-Bedford, presented the borough with a citation from the Senate, while Weyant presented a certificate from Topper’s office in honor of the occasion.

The borough has developed a lot over the years, said county commissioner JR Winck.

“There’s a lot of interesting history here and 230 years is quite an amazing accomplishment,” he said. “Godspeed for the next 200.”

Dennis Tice, director of the Bedford County Visitors Bureau, said he was in attendance to “praise Bedford, because this is my hometown.”

“What a wonderful place to be,” Tice said. “It’s a wonderful place for visitors to step back in time and is just a vibrant, small town with wonderful people.”

The public celebration event will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, March 13, at the borough office, 224 Penn St., Bedford. While it is free, registration is required and can be made by calling the Bedford County Chamber of Commerce at 814-623-2233 during regular business hours or online at bedfordcountychamber.com. Click on “Events,” “Chamber Calendar” then click on “Bedford Boro 230th Celebration.”

Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor is at 814-946-7458.

If you go

What: Bedford Borough’s 230th anniversary celebration

When: 4-6 p.m. Thursday, March 13

Where: 244 W. Penn St., Bedford

Cost: Free