About Tenley Falls
Tenley Falls is a small borough located in Garrett County, Pennsylvania, approximately 38 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. Situated along Spruce Creek in the foothills of the Allegheny Plateau, the borough encompasses 2.1 square miles and is home to approximately 4,206 residents as of the 2020 United States Census.
History
The area that is now Tenley Falls was first settled in the early 1840s by families migrating westward from the Cumberland Valley. Among the earliest settlers was William Tenley (1811–1879), a millwright from Lancaster County who recognized the potential of a 12-foot drop in Spruce Creek as a site for a grist mill. Tenley constructed his mill in 1844, and the small settlement that grew around it became known informally as “Tenley’s Falls.”
By the 1860s, the community had grown to include a general store, a blacksmith shop, a one-room schoolhouse, and approximately two dozen residences. A post office was established in 1867 under the name “Tenley Falls,” dropping the possessive apostrophe. The arrival of the Pittsburgh, Virginia & Charleston Railroad spur line in 1881 brought modest growth to the community, and Tenley Falls was formally incorporated as a borough on April 14, 1887.
In the decades that followed, the borough developed a small but stable industrial base centered on lumber processing and the manufacture of wooden barrel staves. The Garrett County Cooperage Company operated a factory on what is now the 400 block of Mill Street from 1903 until 1954. At its peak in the 1920s, the cooperage employed approximately 85 workers, making it the borough’s largest employer.
The post-war period brought gradual change. The cooperage closed in 1954, followed by the Tenley Falls Lumber Company in 1961. The railroad spur was decommissioned in 1968. Through the 1970s and 1980s, the borough experienced a slow decline in population as younger residents relocated to the Pittsburgh metropolitan area for employment. The population reached a low of 3,480 in the 1990 census.
Beginning in the mid-1990s, Tenley Falls saw a modest recovery as improvements to state Route 51 reduced commute times to the southern suburbs of Pittsburgh. New residential construction, primarily along the borough’s eastern edge, contributed to gradual population growth. Today, Tenley Falls functions primarily as a residential community, with the majority of its working-age residents commuting to employment centers outside the borough.
Geography & Climate
Tenley Falls is located in the western foothills of the Allegheny Plateau at an elevation of approximately 1,340 feet above sea level. The borough is bisected from north to south by Spruce Creek, a tributary of the Youghiogheny River. The terrain is generally hilly, with elevations within the borough ranging from approximately 1,280 feet along the creek bed to 1,410 feet at the borough’s northeastern boundary.
The borough experiences a humid continental climate typical of southwestern Pennsylvania. Average temperatures range from 27°F in January to 72°F in July. Annual precipitation averages approximately 42 inches, with measurable snowfall typically occurring from November through March. Average annual snowfall is 38 inches.
Demographics
The following demographic data is drawn from the 2020 United States Census and the American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2018–2022).
| Population (2020) | 4,206 |
|---|---|
| Population (2010) | 4,071 |
| Change (2010–2020) | +3.3% |
| Median Age | 41.7 years |
| Median Household Income | $52,340 |
| Homeownership Rate | 68.4% |
| Households | 1,742 |
| Persons per Household | 2.38 |
Government
Tenley Falls operates under the Pennsylvania Borough Code as a borough with a council-manager form of government. The Borough Council consists of seven members elected at-large to four-year staggered terms. The Council is the legislative body of the borough and is responsible for enacting ordinances, setting the annual budget, and establishing policy. Council meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM in the Borough Hall Community Room, unless otherwise posted.
The Mayor is elected separately to a four-year term and serves as the chief executive officer of the borough. The current Mayor is Carol Hendricks, who was first elected in November 2019 and took office in January 2020. The Mayor presides over Council meetings and is responsible for oversight of the borough police department.
The Borough Manager is appointed by Council and is responsible for the day-to-day administration of borough operations, including public works, code enforcement, and personnel management. The current Borough Manager is Dennis Kehoe, who has served in the position since 2016.
Borough Hall is located at 147 Commerce Avenue. The Borough Office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The borough employs 14 full-time and 6 part-time staff, including three police officers, two public works crew members, and one code enforcement officer.
Economy
Tenley Falls is primarily a residential community. According to American Community Survey estimates, approximately 78% of employed residents commute to jobs outside the borough, with the most common destinations being the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, Uniontown, and Connellsville. The average one-way commute time for borough residents is 34 minutes.
The borough’s commercial activity is concentrated along Commerce Avenue, the main east-west thoroughfare through the downtown area. Local businesses include a hardware store, a pharmacy, two restaurants, a barber shop, a hair salon, a pizza shop, a small grocery, a branch office of First Garrett Savings Bank, and a State Farm insurance agency. A Dollar General store opened on Route 51 at the eastern borough line in 2018.
The borough’s largest employers are the Garrett Valley School District (Tenley Falls Elementary, located within the borough), the Borough of Tenley Falls itself, and Delvecchio’s IGA grocery.
Education
Tenley Falls is served by the Garrett Valley School District, which also includes the neighboring boroughs of Ridgedale and Elk Hollow and portions of Spruce Creek Township. Students residing in Tenley Falls attend the following schools:
- Tenley Falls Elementary School (grades K–5) — located at 220 Hemlock Drive, Tenley Falls
- Garrett Valley Middle School (grades 6–8) — located in Ridgedale
- Garrett Valley Senior High School (grades 9–12) — located in Ridgedale
The nearest institutions of higher education are California University of Pennsylvania (approximately 28 miles) and the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg (approximately 45 miles).
Notable Features
Spruce Creek Falls
The borough takes its name from a 12-foot waterfall on Spruce Creek, located in the western portion of the borough near the site of William Tenley’s original mill. The falls and the surrounding area are accessible from the Spruce Creek Trail, a 0.6-mile gravel walking path maintained by the borough. The remains of the mill foundation are visible at the top of the falls. The site was listed on the Garrett County Register of Historic Places in 1994.
Veterans Memorial Park
Veterans Memorial Park is a 3.2-acre borough park located at the intersection of Commerce Avenue and Park Street. The park features a war memorial dedicated in 1952 honoring residents of Tenley Falls who served in the First and Second World Wars. The memorial was expanded in 1989 to include the names of borough residents who served in the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and subsequent conflicts. The park also includes a small playground, two picnic pavilions, and a seasonal portable restroom facility. The park is maintained by the borough Department of Public Works.
Commerce Avenue Historic District
The Commerce Avenue Historic District encompasses approximately three blocks of the borough’s central business district, roughly from the 100 block to the 300 block of Commerce Avenue. The district includes 22 contributing structures, most dating from the 1890s through the 1920s, and reflects the commercial architectural styles typical of small western Pennsylvania boroughs of that era. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. Borough Hall (1904) and the former Tenley Falls National Bank building (1897, now occupied by First Garrett Savings Bank) are the most architecturally significant structures in the district.
Sister City
Tenley Falls maintains a sister city partnership with the commune of Niederveldt, Luxembourg (population approximately 890). The partnership was established in 2003 through a Garrett County cultural exchange program organized by the county’s Office of Community Development. The program sought to connect small municipalities in Garrett County with communities of comparable size in Western Europe.
A delegation of four borough officials and two residents visited Niederveldt in September 2004. A reciprocal visit by Niederveldt officials was discussed but has not taken place to date. Correspondence from Niederveldt has been limited in recent years. The Borough continues to recognize the partnership and extends an open invitation to residents and officials of Niederveldt to visit Tenley Falls.