Applewold, PA

Applewold is a borough in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, on the western bank of the Allegheny River across from Kittanning. The 2020 census counted 334 people. The borough incorporated in December 1899 with about 120 residents, grew past 500 in the 1970s, and still reads as a compact residential place with historic homes, a river avenue, and two recreation areas. An Armstrong County history booklet suggests the name may combine the old English word wold, meaning a plain or meadow, with the area's apple orchards.

Applewold's setting puts it inside several layers of regional history. The borough's location relates to the Battle of Kittanning during the French and Indian War, the Pennsylvania Canal's Kittanning Extension, and the railroad that arrived later. West Kittanning borders Applewold to the west, while Kittanning sits directly across the river to the east. In 2024, the borough marked its 125th anniversary with a parade and speakers. The local scoop is a small Allegheny River borough whose front-row view of Kittanning gives a residential street grid a surprisingly large historical backdrop.