Historic whiskey site in controversy

Museum workers sort through artifacts.

SCOTTSDALE, PA -- West Overton Village and Museums, established as an agrarian museum, will have a new new mission when it reopens in 2013 after a renovation project.

At that time, it will refocus on the western Pennsylvania village's rye whiskey distilling history.

Meanwhile, however, a controversy has arisen over the sale by Executive Director Kelly Linn of numerous artifacts that are the property of the 18-building museum complex.

West Overton Museums operates on $80,000 a year from the Henry Clay Frick foundation and from public donations. It receives no state funds. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of the American Whiskey Trail that includes museums, distilleries and visitors centers in five states.

West Overton Village is the birthplace of industrialist Frick, who spent the first 30 years of his life here. The village was founded in 1800 by Abraham Overholt, Frick's grandfather. Overholt began making rye whiskey under the name Old Overholt, which now is distilled by Jim Beam.

TribLive.com has a thorough story on the controversial sales.

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