Reward For Person Who Comes Up With Next Route 19 Scarecrow Idea

Every Community Day, the Historical Society of Upper St. Clair surprises residents with a new scarecrow theme in the farm on the corner of Route 19 and Orr Road—across the street from the .

Right now you're used to seeing the chickens.

Last year it was a bride and groom, because Historical Society member Rachel Heins Carlson and her husband, Matt, were married there.

And in 2009, heads were turning when the female scarecrow donned a hot, red dress and the male—a handsome tuxedo.

The scarecrow tradition is nothing new. The Gilfillan family—who left the farm for the Historical Society in 2001 in the will of Margaret Gilfillan—would dress the scarecrows, too. They would put their old, worn-out work clothes on them.

This year, the Historical Society is asking for the public's help in coming with a scarecrow dress theme—and there's some incentive involved.

The person who gives the winning suggestion will receive a $25 gift card to . (That's a lot of milkshakes!)

"We're looking for something fun and identifiable," Rachel said.

She wants the theme to be recognizable at a glance after stories she's heard about teachers nearly getting into accidents while staring at the scarecrows—and not the road.

The contest will end on Saturday, May 5 and the new scarecrow theme will be revealed on Community Day, Saturday, May 19.

So what is your idea for the scarecrows this year? Let the Historical Society know in the comments section below! You could be a winner and make history!

Editor's Note: The Historical Society of Upper St. Clair does more than just preserve the Gilfillan Farm. Its purpose is to collect, file and distribute historical information on the township. The society currently has an intern from Pitt working on a special digitization project.

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