Institution

MuseumThe main museum area features displays of artifacts covering business and industry, coal mining, prominent citizens, organizations, schools, military service and the beginnings of professional football and airmail delivery. Separate rooms portray an old-time country store, a "Grandma's" house, and a one-room schoolhouse.Library and ArchivesThe collection of books, newspapers, photographs, original documents, microfilm, family, community, and cemetery records, maps, yearbooks and scrapbooks are all made available for public use. The articles, local directories, memoirs, diaries, personal letters, ledgers, meeting minutes, and audio recordings with transcripts cover a diverse cross section of people, their occupations, associations, service and time periods in which they lived from 1780 until today.AuditoriumA 40 seat auditorium with audio and video service is available for hosting student groups, church groups, class reunions, and local organization meetings.EducationPrograms on various topics are available for presentation . A quarterly publication, the Latrobe Historical Gazette, features articles on people, places and events of our past.

Latrobe Area Historical Society museum display room

Penny farthing cycling clubs and first airmail delivery

Library of yearbooks, local directories, family histories, and cemetery records

File cabinet collection for business, recreation, churches, communities, families, government, industry, organizations, schools, sports, transportation and wars

Website

Latrobe Area Historical Society is an all volunteer non profit organization chartered in 1974 striving to preserve the legacy of the southwestern Pennsylvania area in and around Latrobe through the collection, study and documentation of the community's heritage and the preservation of the local history and ethnic roots.

The focus area of the City of Latrobe, Unity Township and parts of Derry Township has a rich history, from colonial days in Unity Township to the beginnings of the industrial age, the birth of professional football, and modern innovations in business and industry.
Latrobe also is the birthplace of golf great Arnold Palmer and beloved television personality Fred Rogers, of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.


Latrobe Area Historical Society

Director

This tour takes you through the many museums and historical societies in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Discover the county's history, ranging from the French and Indian War to the 20th century, along with world-class art museums, galleries, and nature centers. More entries are forthcoming!

The museum was first established in 1949 upon the
death of Mary Marchand Woods, an art enthusiast who left her estate to the city
for the purpose of opening an art museum.&nbsp;
The museum officially opened to the public in 1959 and then reopened in
1999 after renovations that added six improved gallery spaces and educational facilitates.&nbsp; Today, the museum continues to honor American
and Pennsylvanian art.The museum's expressed mission is to "...enrich a growing public through innovative and collaborative approaches to the collection, preservation, and presentation of American art."&nbsp; It accomplishes this mission through the display of works from artists such as Mary Cassatt, Winslow Homer and John Singer Sargent.&nbsp; It also invites guests to visit its Center for Creative Connections, an interactive area where one can participate in its build-a-bridge or stop-motion animation art programs.Renovations to the museum were completed in 2015 which also added over 13,000 square-feet of exhibit and other spaces.&nbsp; A wing was added to house traveling exhibits and the museum's collection of post-1950s art.&nbsp; A community room was also added that hosts concerts, lectures and is available for private rentals.&nbsp; Finally, outdoor spaces were built, to include gardens and outdoor terraces.

First opened in 1959, The Westmoreland Museum of American Art focuses on American and Southwestern Pennsylvanian art and has shared such work with the public for over 50 years.  The museum features over 3,400 pieces of art from the mid 18th-mid 20th centuries, including paintings, sculptures, portraits, works on paper, objects with images, and decorative arts.  In addition to its exhibitions, the museum also hosts many different educational programs, including programs in the classroom, art classes, and summer camps.

The Westmoreland Museum of American Art

While the first fire department in Greensburg wasn’t officially formed until January 12, 1891, there is evidence of firefighting activities, such as a bucket brigade, as far back as the 1700s. Hose Company No. 1 and No. 2 were the first created, and the department moved quickly to supply the Hose Companies with the supplies and equipment necessary. Greensburg Borough already possessed one 4-wheel wagon which went to Co. No. 1, and funds were raised to purchase a 2-wheel cart for Co. No. 2. Included in the initial fundraising efforts were monies to buy the first rubber uniforms for the fire department. Over the next 15 years, Greensburg expanded, and four additional fire companies were added to cover the growing territory. Hose Co. No. 3, or the “Bunker Hill Hose Company”, was formed in 1894. Prior to completion of the fire house in 1895, meetings were held at the Bunker Hill School House. The Ludwick Fire Company formed in 1896 and became part of the Greensburg Fire Department in 1906 as Hose Co. No. 6. With the consolidation of East Greensburg and Greensburg, Hose Co. No. 7 was established in the 7th ward. The last Hose Co. started was No. 8 in 1906. Before the days of motorized fire trucks, equipment was often pulled by the firefighters themselves. If the firefighters were headed in the same direction as a streetcar, oftentimes the wagon could be hooked up to the streetcar, or horses could be borrowed from the residents to pull engines. In the 1950s and 60s, the fire department recognized that the history and artifacts of the Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department were being lost. In an effort to preserve the history, the department initially acquired space in an old trolley freight station behind city hall. The museum remained there until the 1980s when a councilman no longer permitted them to stay. The museum then found space on the 4th floor of the Troutman’s building; however, the 1805 Pat Lyon and 1825 Goodwill Hand Fire Pumpers couldn’t be brought to the 4th floor. Finally, in 1998, the Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department Museum found its permanent home behind City Hall where 3 fully restored engines and hundreds of artifacts are displayed. While the Pat Lyon and Goodwill are kept at the museum, the 1949 Seagrave Pumper is brought out for various ceremonial and parade duties throughout the area.

The Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department Museum collects and preserves artifacts of the GVFD including antique firetrucks, uniforms, equipment, and pictures of historic Greensburg Fires.  In addition, the museum cares for a large collection of toy and model fire trucks. Today, the museum houses three fully restored fire engines. Both the 1805 Pat Lyon engine and 1825 Goodwill engine were used in the Great Fire of Pittsburgh on April 5, 1845 before being sold to the GVFD. The third, a 1949 Seagrave Pumper was purchased new for Hose Company No. 3.

Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department Museum

After restorations were completed Hempfield Area School District has since 2009 held third grade classes , for the six elementary schools in the district. This has been a full day of class in the 1880s style of one room school. Book from the time period ,old style desk, Blackboards, dip well ink pens and other equipment&nbsp;are used in the students teachings in the schoolhouse for the day.

Baltzer Meyer Historical Society acquired the historic schoolhouse in 1996, and began renovating the building that same year. It has long been their goal to restore the building so that it could function as a museum, as well as a place for contemporary students to peek into the past.


Old Harrold One Room Schoolhouse #8

Established 1995, to restore a 1881 one Room School House. Maintain a library of over 3500 books, on local history, family trees and history, church record, cemetery record, funeral home records, obits and large files on family records.

Building is the Old Harrold Zion Lutheran N, built 1883. Now houses the Paul Miller Ruff Library, genealogy and local History, collection of local artifacts, books, records, and maps. Also publishes over 100 books on local Church records.and local history.

Baltzer Meyer Historical Society

Formed in 1994, the Norwin Historical Society preserves and protects the history of the Norwin Area, which is made up of Irwin, North Irwin, and North Huntingdon Township. These three locations have an official history stretching back to the creation of Westmoreland County in 1773 with the formation of Huntingdon Township. The historical society keeps the history of what was a rapidly growing area during the mid 1800s in response to the expanding Pennsylvania Railroad Company and flourishing coal and gas mines. With the completion of the Brush Creek Valley Line, which provided a direct route to Pittsburgh, in 1852, John Irwin laid out Irwin Station in town. Irwin Station became a central location and hundreds of families flocked to the area to live and work. Today, the Norwin Historical Society offers a variety of resources to researchers. In addition, they hold several events a year, including Antiques on Main in September, a Holiday House Tour in December, and a Memorial Day Honor Guard the Sunday before Memorial Day every year. The historical society also cares for the grounds of the historic Brush Creek Associate Reformed Church Cemetery and provides speakers to local organizations and schools.

Located on Main Street of Irwin Borough, the Norwin Historical Society was formed in 1994 in order to preserve the history of Irwin, North Irwin, and North Huntingdon Township. With resources for researchers and a variety of community events, the historical society aims to preserve and promote the history of the area.  

Norwin Historical Society

Pontiac, an Ottawa chief in the Detroit areas, retaliated against British policies and control following the collapse of New France at the close of the French and Indian War. Because of Pontiac’s successful advances against the British, Indian revolts quickly spread eastward. His plans were covert until 1763 when attacks on British outposts began. By the end of July, nine British forts were captured, a tenth fort abandoned, and the great strongholds of Pitt and Detroit under seige. The geographic area affected included the present states of Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin and parts of Maryland and West Virginia. Truly this was the greatest Indian threat to the British colonies during the 18th century.Because the Indians so throroughly controlled the frontier, information about the war filtered slowly east to the British high command. Once the scope of the situation was realized in late June, an expedition was organized to march west to Fort Pitt and then to proceed north and west to re-estabish fallen forts. Colonel Henry Bouquet, a Swiss born professional soldier, commanded the expedition as it left Carlisle, Pennsylvania on July 18th. Indian scouts observed Bouquet’s army marching west along Forbes Road and reported this to the large force of Indians surrounding Fort Pitt. The Indians decided to temporarily end their siege and attack the British expedition in the open. The attack took place one mile east of Bushy Run Station on August 5th and 6th, 1763. The engagement resulted in a victory for the British.

The Bushy Run Battlefield commemorates and preserves the site of the British victory over the Native American forces during Pontiac’s War. The victory prevented the capture of Fort Pitt (Pittsburgh) and restored lines of communication between the frontier and eastern settlements.  The 213-acre battlefield contains self-guided trails and a visitor's center that houses interpretive displays, a small theater, a café, and a gift shop.  The site was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960.  

Bushy Run Battlefield

The land that later became Hanna’s Town has a long history. It was originally settled by indigenous Monongahela Peoples who flourished in the Ohio Valley prior to European colonization in the early 17th century, evidenced by archaeological material discovered at the historic site. The Iroquois Six Nations (Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora) lived close to the present-day New York/Pennsylvania border. The Shawnee and Delaware (Lenape) lived in the western Ohio River Valley and upper Mississippi Valley. In the 18th century, what is now western Pennsylvania was considered multi-tribal hunting and trade territory, with major trails crossing through the region.European colonization intensified struggles between the British, French, and Native Americans over claim to land, particularly the Forks of the Ohio at modern-day Pittsburgh. During the French and Indian War, British general John Forbes constructed the Forbes Road to move troops over the Allegheny Mountains to capture Fort Duquesne from the French in 1758. The British erected Fort Pitt and established a British stronghold of the region. The Forbes Road soon became a travel route for European settlers moving west.The Treaty of Fort Stanwix (1768) transferred land from the Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) to the Penn Family. The “New Purchase,” as it was called, included northeastern PA and southwestern PA, following the Allegheny Mountains. The New Purchase allowed an Irish farmer and businessman named Robert Hanna to acquire land and establish a settlement west of the Allegheny Mountains along the Forbes Road.Originally from County Down, Northern Ireland, Robert Hanna immigrated to York County, Pennsylvania, with his family when he was a young child. He married Elizabeth Kelly of Lancaster County in 1762, and the couple later had four daughters. In 1769, Robert Hanna applied for 337 acres of land in what was then Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. Sometime after, Robert, Elizabeth, and their daughter Jane, traveled to the property and settled Hanna’s Town. Robert Hanna leased lots to settlers predominately of Scots-Irish descent, who built log homes and engaged in subsistence farming. Some residents also arrived as indentured servants of Scots-Irish descent or as enslaved people of African descent. According to archaeological research, it is estimated that Hanna’s Town had at least thirty homes, three taverns, many outbuildings, and a stockade fort.When Hanna’s Town was founded in the early 1770s, Pennsylvania was proprietary colony of Great Britain. A growing population on the frontier, the need for law and order, and border disputes with Virginia led to the establishment of new counties in western Pennsylvania. Robert Hanna was involved in establishing Bedford County in 1771, and quickly sought an additional southwestern county. Westmoreland County, encompassing most of southwestern Pennsylvania, was formed on February 26, 1773, with Hanna’s Town selected as the county seat. The first court session was held on April 6, 1773, making Hanna’s Town the first site of English courts west of the Allegheny Mountains. Court sessions were held four times a year in “quarter sessions,” and addressed legal matters ranging from license applications to disputes to crimes including theft and treason. Hanna’s Tavern served as a courthouse, and trial were also held outdoors. As the county seat, Hanna’s Town attracted settlers, travelers, and those seeking justice on the Pennsylvania frontier.In April 1775, British soldiers fired on American militia in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, sparking the Revolutionary War. Word made its way to the Pennsylvania frontier in the coming weeks. Though far from the revolutionary epicenters of Boston or Philadelphia, the people of Pennsylvania were still engaged with debates around British rule over the colonies. On May 16, 1775, in response to Lexington and Concord, citizens of Westmoreland County drafted and approved the Hanna’s Town Resolves. The Resolves protested the injustices of the British Parliament while remaining loyal to George III, the English monarch. The Resolves also led to the creation of a county militia to defend the region from attacks. Hanna’s Town later served as a recruitment center for the county militia along with the Continental Army. On October 19, 1781, British General Cornwallis surrendered to American forces at Yorktown, Virginia, yet the war was not over in the west. The western campaigns of the Revolutionary War were shaped by shifting borders, betrayed treaties, raids on American settlements, and massacres at Native American villages. This violence continued well into 1782. In May, Seneca and their British allies left Fort Niagara to launch an assault on western Pennsylvania to weaken the region and push settlers east. Hanna's Town was attacked on July 13, 1782, while court was in session. Most of the town was burned and destroyed, though almost everyone in town survived, taking refuge in the fort that was spared in the attack. This event is considered one of the final conflicts of the Revolutionary War. Hanna’s Town never recovered from the attack or the untimely death of Robert Hanna in 1786, after which the county seat was moved to Greensburg.The land moved through several hands until purchased in by the Steel family at a sheriff’s sale in the 1820s. Several generations of the Steel Family farmed the land for about 140 years. In 1969, the property was purchased by Westmoreland County in collaboration with the Westmoreland Historical Society. The farmland preserved artifacts and archaeological features that have become an invaluable resource for the study of early American life. Reconstruction efforts of the site began in the 1970s and the site was added to the National Register of Historic Places.Today, Historic Hanna's Town is a county park and historic site interpreted by the Westmoreland Historical Society, which has its headquarters on the property. Historic Hanna's Town encompasses the reconstructed Hanna's Tavern, fort, and jail; five historic log buildings moved from other properties; an authentic Conestoga wagon; along with walking paths, an 18th century kitchen garden, and native pollinator gardens. The Westmoreland History Education Center includes a research library, museum shop, and exhibit gallery with changing exhibits. Programs and events are offered throughout the year, including Frontier Court Days, where visitors can witness reenacted court cases once held at Hanna's Town.

Hanna's Town served as the site of the first English courts west of the Allegheny Mountains and first seat of government for Westmoreland County, established in 1773. Hanna's Town was an outpost for settlers, travelers, and those seeking law or court interventions. In May 1775, citizens of Westmoreland County drafted the Hanna’s Town Resolves condemning British actions at the Battles of Lexington and Concord and calling for a county militia. Throughout the Revolutionary War, Hanna’s Town served as a recruitment center for the county militia as well as the Continental Army. On July 13, 1782, Hanna’s Town was burned by British and Seneca forces in one of the last conflicts of the Revolutionary War. Today, Historic Hanna's Town offers guided tours of the reconstructed historic site, educational programs, and special events. Historic Hanna's Town is a Westmoreland County park managed by the Westmoreland Historical Society, which bases its operations at the Westmoreland History Education Center on site.

Historic Hanna's Town

The Derry Area Historical Society (DAHS) was founded in April 1995 during a gathering of historically-minded members of the Derry community, who were trying to raise funds for the school district's one-room schoolhouse. The area previously had no group specifically dedicated to preserving its history, and DAHS began by creating a map of the area's historic sites, including schools, forts, cemeteries, and homes. Since then, DAHS has been instrumental in preserving local history, saving historic structures, leading educational programs, and collecting research and genealogical materials. DAHS maintains the Fulton House in New Derry. It was built by Robert Fulton in 1817, just two years after plans for New Derry were laid out. Robert Fulton sold the the property to James Fulton, Jr., in April 1821, who operated it as an inn for animal drovers for about 20 years. As an inn, the Fulton House was an important stop for travelers and early railroad workers along the Northern Pike, which connected Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. The Fulton House converted to a private residence in 1855, and was passed through the hands of many families. In the twentieth century, the house was covered with wood siding and InsulBrick, masking its historic nature. In 1997, DAHS acquired the Fulton House after many years of vacancy. The log structure was restored and dedicated in May 1999. DAHS has since built a new barn on original its stone foundation and a Blacksmith shop that offers demonstrations. Events throughout the year include festivals, community sing-a-longs, dinners, and memorial events. DAHS maintains the Family and Community History Center, housed at the New Alexandria Public Library since 2009. This collection of genealogical material has been used by researchers across the country to trace their family histories. Resources include tax records, patent maps, family files, local histories, and a nearly complete collection of Derry Area school yearbooks. DAHS is involved with a number of local history projects. Their members organized the 200th anniversary celebration of New Derry in 2015. They coordinate the Historic Sites Plaque Program, began in 2000 to recognize best preserved or restored houses, churches, and other sites. Eligible structures must be at least a century old, located on their original sites, and be at least 85% intact. Their Adopt a Revolutionary War Hero program is working on replacing decayed, illegible grave markers at the Old Salem Community Church Cemetery, where thirty Revolutionary War veterans are laid to rest. For restoring the Fulton House and preserving Derry area history, DAHS received the Arthur St. Clair Historic Preservation Award from the Westmoreland Historical Society in 2002.

Founded in 1995, the Derry Area Historical Society is a nonprofit organization that encourages the research, writing, and discussion of local Derry Area history, which includes Derry Township, Derry and New Alexandria Boroughs, and the surrounding areas. The Derry Area Historical Society is based at the Fulton House, a log home and inn built in 1817 where the Society leads a number of public programs throughout the year. They also maintain a collection of genealogical and local history research material at the New Alexandria Public Library. DAHS coordinates a number of programs that preserve Derry area history, including events at the Fulton House, the Historic Sites Plaque Program, and Adopt a Revolutionary War Hero initiative at the Old Salem Community Church Cemetery. 

Fulton House and the Derry Area Historical Society

MuseumThe main museum area features displays of artifacts covering business and industry, coal mining, prominent citizens, organizations, schools, military service and the beginnings of professional football and airmail delivery. Separate rooms portray an old-time country store, a "Grandma's" house, and a one-room schoolhouse.Library and ArchivesThe collection of books, newspapers, photographs, original documents, microfilm, family, community, and cemetery records, maps, yearbooks and scrapbooks are all made available for public use. The articles, local directories, memoirs, diaries, personal letters, ledgers, meeting minutes, and audio recordings with transcripts cover a diverse cross section of people, their occupations, associations, service and time periods in which they lived from 1780 until today.AuditoriumA 40 seat auditorium with audio and video service is available for hosting student groups, church groups, class reunions, and local organization meetings.EducationPrograms on various topics are available for presentation . A quarterly publication, the Latrobe Historical Gazette, features articles on people, places and events of our past.

The McCarl Coverlet Gallery was established as part of a $1 million gift to Saint Vincent College by Foster and Muriel McCarl of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, who had amassed a rich collection of 388 antique American coverlets. Foster McCarl founded McCarl's Plumbing and Heating Company in 1946, which became a leader in the mechanical contrasting industry. Inspired by a love of American history, Foster and his wife, Muriel, began collecting antiques in the 1950s, including quilts, furniture, iron, brass, china, pottery, and wooden ware. They purchased their first historic coverlet in August 1959 in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, and quickly assembled a prized collection. <blockquote> “Someone asked me, ‘why coverlets?’ My response was ‘Where else can you find an item that has the name of the weaver who created it by hand, the name of the person it was woven for, the date and the community where the work was completed? When you have a coverlet with all this information, you have found an indisputable piece of American history.’” - Foster McCarl</blockquote> The McCarl Collection features coverlets made in the American Northeast during the 19th century. Described as "figured and fancy," these intricately woven bedcovers feature vibrant colors and complex patterns. Many were made on Jacquard looms, which used a punchcard system to create symmetrical patterns and imagery such as flowers, trees, birds, geometric shapes, and patriotic symbols. They also often feature the name of the weaver, the year the coverlet was woven, and the name of the recipient, who could have been gifted the coverlet for a special occasion like a marriage or birth. Coverlets were made almost exclusively by professional male weavers using a blend of cotton and wool. While used practically for warmth, coverlets were and still are considered a form of decorative art. The McCarl Coverlet Gallery has continued to acquire coverlets and other artifacts and documents over the years. The Gallery holds the Anderson/Hawthorne Textile Database and Research Collection, a detailed set of records on more than 14,000 coverlets loomed primarily in the Middle Atlantic and Midwest United States between 1830 and 1860 and their weavers, the largest repository of its kind. One of its largest coverlet acquisitions was a collection from the permanently closed American Textile History Museum in Lowell, Massachusetts. The collection included 301 coverlets along with a Jacquard loom head, assorted looms, and spinning wheels. The McCarl Coverlet Gallery uses its collection to share a variety of stories from history, including production, technology, design, craftsmanship, and artistry. Changing exhibits have explored topics such as regional weavers, domestic history, colored dyes, imagery of nature and wildlife, weaving technologies, and slavery in the textile industry. The McCarl Gallery offers group tours, school programs, craft workshops, dinner theaters, and workstudy programs for Saint Vincent College students. Exhibits are free and open to the public.

The Foster and Muriel McCarl Coverlet Gallery is a nonprofit cultural organization that collects, preserves, interprets and disseminates the history of weaving and folk traditions in the Northeastern region of the United States. Located on the bottom floor of the Fred Rogers Center at Saint Vincent College, the McCarl Gallery connects visitors with regional textile traditions through exhibits, programs, and research. The Gallery was established as part of a generous donation to Saint Vincent College by Foster and Muriel McCarl to preserve and exhibit their collection of antique American coverlets. It is considered one of the nation's premier institutions dedicated to this unique form of decorative art. 

The Foster and Muriel McCarl Coverlet Gallery

The Lincoln Highway was conceived and promoted primarily by Carl Fisher and Henry Joy who sought to create an intercontinental road that ran from New York City to San Francisco. The first section, which ran through Essex and Hudson counties in New Jersey, was completed in 1913. The rest of the highway was completed over the next decade by improving and linking already existing roads. It initially ran for almost 3,400 miles. However, that number has changed as the road was realigned over the years.Its value became readily apparent for a number of reasons as it ushered in the age of the automobile and permitted Americans to travel at their leisure--which also improved the economies of towns located along the highway. Soon, others saw its worth, and numerous roads were crisscrossing the country. The road lost its designation as the Lincoln Highway with the creation of the United States Numbered Highways system in 1926. Within the state of Pennsylvania, most of it is now known as Route 30.Founded in 1995, the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor (LHHC) is one of twelve Heritage Areas in Pennsylvania. The mission of the LHHC is to "...identify, conserve, promote and interpret the cultural, historical, cultural, recreational, and economic resources along the Lincoln Highway..." The Lincoln Highway Experience, located in the historic Johnston House along the Lincoln Highway in Latrobe, offers exhibits, bus tours, and numerous events throughout the year, including the Lincoln Highway SupperMarket, held every Wednesday in June, July, and August. At the Lincoln Highway Experience, enjoy a 13-minute award-winning film, discover a rich collection of artifacts, explore interactive exhibits such as a coast-to-coast bicycle ride and a Penny For Your Tots children's play area, and follow in the tradition of travelers by sending a postcard from the museum. A new expansion to the museum includes a full-sized 1938 diner, a gas station, and a traveler's cabin.

The Lincoln Highway, our nation’s first coast-to-coast highway, marked the birth of popular American tourism – vacationing by automobile. Visitors who begin their journey at the Lincoln Highway Experience, nestled in the Laurel Highlands, will have a more enriching tour because they will see an inspiring orientation film, view a number of interpretive exhibits on quirky roadside architecture (including the Ship Hotel and Coffee Pot), trace the Lincoln Highway across Pennsylvania in beautiful Black and white photographs, enjoy pie and coffee at the restored 1938 diner, and shop for Lincoln Highway memorabilia and fine artisan crafts. Since 1996, the not-for-profit Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor has worked with a number of local, state and federal partners on heritage preservation, sustainable community development, and responsible land conservation in south-central Pennsylvania. Enjoy your journey on the Lincoln Highway, and remember to "Keep Thinkin' Lincoln!"

Lincoln Highway Experience

According to the Ligonier Valley Rail Road Association, the railroad was "short in length," but "long in construction." In 1853, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed an act incorporating a railroad company between Latrobe and Ligonier. Originally called the Latrobe and Ligonier Rail Road Company, this line connected the newly formed town of Latrobe, which was laid out by an engineer for the Pennsylvania Railroad, and Ligonier, a settlement first established about a hundred years earlier during the French and Indian War.  Surveys for the new railroad were completed in 1853 and 1854, yet financial issues and delays from the state legislature made grading and construction a slow process. The railroad was renamed the Ligonier Valley Rail Road Company in May 1871, with additional surveys conducted - and additional delays. The incomplete railroad went up for sale and was purchased by Judge Thomas Mellon, founder of Mellon Bank in Pittsburgh, in August 1877. Mellon saw the Ligonier Valley Rail Road as less of an financial investment and more of an opportunity to give business experience to his sons, Andrew Mellon (later president of Mellon Bank and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury) and Richard Mellon (also later president of Mellon Bank and founder of the Rolling Rock Club). Mellon opted to construct a narrow gauge (3 foot) line, which was completed and went into service on December 1, 1877.  The narrow gauge line made it impossible to directly interchange equipment with the Pennsylvania Railroad, which operated on standard gauge. The Ligonier Valley Rail Road was the first company to use a car transfer system invented by Robert H. Ramsey in 1878. Persisting complications and expenses led the company to convert the railroad to standard gauge (4 foot, 8.5 inches) in 1882. Nicknamed "The Liggie," the mainline had passenger stations or shelters at Ligonier, Bells, Millbank, Idlewild, Darlington, Long Bridge, Kingston, Osborne, Oakville and Latrobe, with three to five weekday round trips between Latrobe and Ligonier. The Mellons established a park, Idlewild, in 1878 to attract passengers from Pittsburgh as well as local communities to the beautiful Ligonier Valley. The Ligonier Valley Rail Road also carried express and U.S. mail and hauled freight including mineral products, stone, coal, coke, and timber. The worst disaster on the Ligonier Valley Rail Road occurred July 5, 1912, when a passenger train carrying holiday travelers and freight train collided head-on along the Wilpen branch of the railroad. In total, 26 people died and 29 were injured, including many children. Since the railroad relied heavily on industrial freight for income, the decline of local industry eventually led to the Ligonier Valley Rail Road's closure on August 31, 1952. The state condemned the section of line through the Loyalhanna Gorge to expand the Lincoln Highway, now the westbound lanes of Route 30 into Latrobe.  The nonprofit Ligonier Valley Rail Road Association (LVRRA) acquired the Darlington Station property in 2005. Major funding from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, Allegheny Foundation, and Kennywood Entertainment (parent company of Idlewild Park) helped the LVRRA restore the Darlington Station and transform the space into a museum. The Darlington Station, built around 1900, was both the workplace and residence of the agent operating the station, and included a ticket office, waiting room, and convenience store. After the Ligonier Valley Rail Road was closed, Idlewild Park took ownership of the property and used it as a quarters for park employees.  The Ligonier Valley Rail Road Museum opened on May 21, 2010 and offers exhibits, guided tours, programs, and research opportunities. The Museum also continues to collect objects and documents related to the Ligonier Valley Rail Road, its largest object being a restored 1905 Bobber Caboose that visitors can explore inside.

The Ligonier Valley Rail Road Museum preserves and interprets the history of the Ligonier Valley Rail Road, a 10.3-mile railway that connected the communities of Latrobe and Ligonier from 1877 to 1952. The railroad hauled freight and offered passenger service between Latrobe and Ligonier, including destinations like Idlewild Park, which was founded by the railroad's owner, Judge Thomas Mellon. The Museum was opened in 2010 by the Ligonier Valley Rail Road Association in the former Darlington station, built in 1896. Today, the Museum is home to a collection of artifacts and documents, exhibits, and a 1905 Bobber Caboose.

Ligonier Valley Rail Road Museum

The Antiochian Orthodox Church traces its roots to the ancient Greek city of Antioch in modern-day Turkey. Apostles Paul, Barnabas, and Peter founded the Church of Antioch, one of the five ancient Patriarchates, or offices, of the Christian Church, along with Alexandria, Constantinople, Jerusalem, and Rome. According to the Bible, Acts 11:26, the disciples at Antioch were the first people called Christians. The Church of Antioch was moved to Damascus in modern-day Syria in the 14th century, where the headquarters of the Antiochian Orthodox Church remains today. The Church is part of the Greek Orthodox Church and the larger Eastern Orthodox Church, meaning that it maintains its unique cultural heritage while remaining "in communion" with other jurisdictions of Orthodoxy. Today, members of the Antiochian Orthodox Church live around the world and have diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Antiochian Village was founded by Metropolitan Archbishop Philip Saliba, who envisioned a spiritual oasis for youth and adults. In 1978, the Antiochian Archdiocese purchased Camp Fairfield, a former Presbyterian youth summer camp, to renovate and expand upon into the Conference and Retreat Center, which opened in 1985. Antiochian Village opened the Antiochian Heritage Museum in 2004 to share the history of Orthodox Christianity and its rich cultural traditions. With its origins in the ancient Middle East and Mediterranean, the Antiochian Orthodox Church has long been culturally and ethnically diverse, with Greek, Byzantine, Syrian, Turkish, Russian, and Arab influences. The Antiochian Heritage Museum collects and exhibits objects such as textiles, inlaid woodwork, metal crafts, jewelry, engravings, prints, and religious art. A permanent exhibit highlights Saint Raphael, a bishop from Damascus who served Orthodox communities throughout the United States. Changing exhibits emphasize Antiochian heritage through the centuries and across different parts of the world, including Westmoreland County and western Pennsylvania. The Museum serves thousands of members of the Antiochian Orthodox Church who attend programs, conferences, retreats, and summer camps at Antiochian Village, along with non-members who rent the Village facilities or simply drop by the Museum to explore. The Museum is free and open to the public.

The Antiochian Heritage Museum celebrates the artistic, cultural, and spiritual heritage of the ancient city of Antioch and the Antiochian Orthodox Church, part of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Permanent and changing exhibits explore the rich history of the Antiochian Church from ancient times to today in the United States. Opened in 2004, the Museum is located at Antiochian Village, a conference and retreat center owned and operated by the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. The Museum is free and open to the public, and offers educational programs throughout the year.

Antiochian Heritage Museum

The Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art (SAMA) was founded in 1976 at Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania. The Museum began with a permanent collection of 67 works of art. Other locations opened in Hollidaysburg (1979) which moved to Altoona (1995), Johnstown (1982), Ligonier (1997) and Bedford (2018). SAMA now has a permanent collection of 5,000 works across all locations featuring nationally-recognized artists such as Will Barnet, William Baziotes, Albert Bierstadt, Mary Cassatt, Walt Kuhn, Thomas Moran, Gilbert Stuart, Thomas Sully, and Andy Warhol. SAMA's location in Ligonier opened in the fall of 1997. Since then, more than 100,000 visitors have attended more than 50 exhibitions at the Museum. These exhibitions have highlighted local, regional, and national artists, and included juried shows for professionals and students. Additionally, the Museum is home to the Walter Carlyle Shaw Paperweight Collection, and showcases these beautiful, unique works of art spanning 150 years in changing exhibits. Elizabeth Shaw Gamble donated the collection of 169 glass paperweights to SAMA in 1992 in memory of her father. SAMA-Ligonier is located in an historic house along Route 711, just down the road from downtown Ligonier. The Museum's exhibits extend outdoors with beautiful gardens and the Donald M. Robinson Sculpture Park, named in memory of a photographer from Altoona who has much of his work housed at SAMA. As a community museum, SAMA-Ligonier emphasizes community art projects and education. Programs like their Arts-in-Education (AIE) and Artist-in-Residence (AIR) initiatives connect artists and art educators to students in local schools, who learn about artistic techniques, history, criticism, and aesthetics. Other programs include children's art camps, workshops for adults, speaker presentations, art walks, and various community events throughout the year. SAMA also participates in the Ligonier Valley's Free Museum Day, an annual event that offers free admission and special activities at local museums. SAMA received accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) in 1996 and has been a partner of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) since 1998.

The Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art (SAMA) is a community art museum with locations in the southwestern Pennsylvania cities of Altoona, Bedford, Johnstown, Ligonier, and Loretto, where the museum was founded in 1976. The Ligonier location opened in 1997 and has since collected and exhibited the works of numerous local, regional, and national artists working in various mediums. The museum at Ligonier offers changing exhibits, educational programs, juried shows, artists-in-residence programs, workshops, and a sculpture garden, connecting people of the Ligonier Valley and surrounding area with the arts. SAMA successfully operates the nation’s longest-running museum satellite system.

Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, Ligonier

In the eighteenth century, Native American tribes and colonists from Britain and France competed for land that is now western Pennsylvania. Both the British and French claimed this land as rightfully theirs, based on their respective surveys of the land, settlements, trade routes, military outposts, and treaties with Native American tribes who had occupied the land for centuries. Most Native American tribes in the region joined the French effort to drive out the British. In the 1750s, the French began building a chain of forts stretching down the Allegheny and Ohio Rivers, strategic trade and travel routes that the British claimed as part of their colonies. The French, though greatly outnumbered, held Fort Duquesne at the Forks of the Ohio and defeated Colonel George&nbsp;Washington at Fort Necessity and General&nbsp;Edward Braddock's in the Battle of the Monongahela.In 1758, the British planned a counterattack on the French by simultaneously targeting forts at Quebec, Crown Point, Niagara and Duquesne. General John&nbsp;Forbes, assigned to attack at Fort Duquesne, and his men took a different route than General Braddock to the Forks of the Ohio. Their route, known as the Forbes Road, meandered through the forested Allegheny Mountains towards Fort Bedford. Along the way, Forbes's second in command,&nbsp;Colonel Henry&nbsp;Bouquet, ordered an outpost be built between&nbsp;Fort Duquesne&nbsp;and&nbsp;Fort Bedford.&nbsp;This fort would provide the Forbes Expedition with an advantage that the failed Braddock Expedition did not have:&nbsp;a staging area to prepare British forces for the final attack on Fort Duquesne.In September 1758, construction on the fort began. Known as the "Post at Loyalhanna," the fort was&nbsp;later named Fort Ligonier in honor of Sir John Ligonier, a French-born nobleman and Field Marshall of the British Army. In mid-September,&nbsp;British forces under Major James&nbsp;Grant left Fort Ligonier to capture Fort Duquesne, but were quickly defeated by the stronger French forces. In response, the French forces planned an attack on Fort Ligonier to seize their supplies and weaken British presence in the Ohio Valley.&nbsp;On October 12, French and Indian&nbsp;forces attacked Fort Ligonier. At the time, the fort was still under construction. It&nbsp;held around 2,000 British soldiers under the control of Colonel James Burd, whom Colonel Bouquet had left in charge.&nbsp;Though the French and Indian forces pushed British guards and battalions to retreat into the fort, British artillery successfully drove the attackers away. Rather than launch a counterattack, the British continued planning their assault on Fort Duquesne.Fort Ligonier remained an essential outpost as the British gathered supplies, troops, and intelligence that prepared them to attack Fort Duquesne.&nbsp;In mid-November 1785, Fort Duquesne was vulnerable enough for the British to strike. General Forbes and his men, including Colonels Washington, Bouquet and&nbsp;Archibald Montgomerie of Scotland, departed Fort Ligonier. They successfully captured Fort Duquesne, which the French burned as the fled. The reconstructed fort on this location was named Fort Pitt, after William Pitt, the British Secretary of State. This later became the city of Pittsburgh.&nbsp;Fort Ligonier&nbsp;was never taken over by another army, and it served as a refuge for settlers in the Indian Wars. It also was the only strong hold that never fell in the Pontiac Revolt of 1763. After serving seven strong years, Fort Ligonier was abandoned in 1765 by Bouquet's recommendations.&nbsp;Though Fort Ligonier disappeared more than 175 years ago, its location was able to be identified from early military records and maps that outlined the fort. Fort Ligonier's design was based on the principles of continental Europe structure. The structure was mainly made out of earth and timber; which the army had a large surplus. The inner part of the fort was a square shape with pointed projections on all four corners. In the center of the square were storehouses, officer's barracks, power magazine, and other structures.&nbsp;Beginning in 1947, the fort was partially reconstructed. The most recent renovation was the lower inner half inside the walls which includes the officer's barracks and two bastions which are connected by a wall of palisades.&nbsp; Within the reconstructed fort are the officers' mess, barracks, guardroom, underground magazine, commissary, and officers' quarters.&nbsp; Reconstructed buildings outside the fort's&nbsp;walls include the Pennsylvania hospital, a smokehouse, saw mill, forge and bake ovens.&nbsp;The museum's exhibits include&nbsp;the History Gallery, French and Indian War Art Gallery, The World Ablaze: An Introduction to the Seven Years' War exhibit, and the George Washington Exhibit.&nbsp; The&nbsp;eight-acre site recently added its new Fort Ligonier Center for History Education which will be used for educational programming, workshops, lectures and exhibitions.&nbsp;Finally, the fort is the main attraction of Fort Ligonier Days, a three-day arts and heritage festival held every October around the time of the Battle of Fort Ligonier.&nbsp;

Fort Ligonier is a reconstructed eighteenth century fort in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. The fort was established as an outpost for British forces planning an attack on Fort Duquesne in modern-day Pittsburgh. On October 12, 1758, the British successfully defended Fort Ligonier from an attack by French and Indian forces. Less than two months later, General John Forbes, along with Colonels George Washington, Henry Bouquet, and Archibald Montgomerie, departed Fort Ligonier and successfully captured Fort Duquesne on November 25. The capture of Fort Duquesne, replaced by Fort Pitt, solidified British occupation of the Forks of the Ohio and led to the establishment of Pittsburgh. Fort Ligonier was reconstructed in the mid-twentieth century and is the setting of historical reenactments, tours, and a state-of-the-art museum that interprets the history of the Pennsylvania frontier and French and Indian War. 

Fort Ligonier

In 1797, Laughlintown was founded by Robert Laughlin as a
small town which would grow to accommodate travelers along the Pennsylvania
State Road and later the Pennsylvania Turnpike.&nbsp;
Roughly following the path of Forbes Road, the State Road was the first
official road stretch across Pennsylvania.&nbsp;
Situated at the foot of the Laurel Hill, the small town of Laughlintown
developed into a rest stop, boasting at least six inns and dozens of small
businesses.

As the State Road deteriorated, the state made the decision
to construct a turnpike, primarily funded by private companies.&nbsp; It was during this time that Robert and
Rachel Armor came to Laughlintown and purchased what was then a log inn, which
was originally a drover’s inn.&nbsp; Situated
directly on the Turnpike, the couple saw the potential for increased business, made
the decision to expand the inn and added a stone wing, creating a higher class
Inn for stagecoach passengers.

Stagecoaches played a vital role in American history.&nbsp; The first form of mass communication and
transportation, it connected the young country through rapid travel times.&nbsp; By the 1830s, a stagecoach could make it from
Philadelphia to Pittsburgh in approximately 56 hours. Most stagecoaches adhered
to a strict schedule, as many carried the mail.&nbsp;
People relied on the stagecoaches and travelers to find out what was
happening in other parts of the country. Travel was crowded and uncomfortable, but
it was the fastest at the time.

Once at Compass Inn, passengers and drivers were able to
find everything they needed.&nbsp; The Inn and
family provided lodging and meals for the travelers, and a barn and Blacksmith
shop were available to tend to the needs of the coach and horses. Inside the
tavern, the family worked hard to supply guests with the necessities.&nbsp; By our standards today, these taverns would
be dirty, uncomfortable places with a staff that wouldn’t go out of their way
to accommodate visitors. What made Compass Inn a nicer place was the use of a
sitting room, or ladies parlor in addition to the common room, and ample
sleeping space upstairs with beds for guests. Food would be provided in
abundance.

Today, Compass Inn Museum captures the history of stagecoach
travel and the daily life of the 19th century.&nbsp; Guided tours take visitors through the inn,
which is filled with period furnishings, as well as the fully functioning
cookhouse and Blacksmith shop.&nbsp; There is
also a reconstructed barn which houses a restored Conestoga Wagon and
Stagecoach.

Compass Inn Museum and Historic Site is a restored 19th century stagecoach stop along the original Philadelphia-Pittsburgh Turnpike.  Originally built in 1799, Compass Inn captures the history of fast-paced stagecoach culture and the family history of seven generations of the Armor family who lived there.

The site features a fully functioning cookhouse and Blacksmith shop along with a reconstructed barn containing a restored Conestoga Wagon and stagecoach.  Compass Inn Museum was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995 and sits along the Lincoln Highway.


Compass Inn Museum

In 1956, Dr. M. Graham Netting, Director of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, established what he called a "living museum" in the mountains of southwestern Pennsylvania. At Powdermill Nature Reserve, scientists from the Carnegie Museum could escape from the city and&nbsp;conduct long-term&nbsp;research on local flora and fauna.&nbsp;It also&nbsp;provided opportunity for the Carnegie Museum to build upon its education mission by inviting&nbsp;local families to learn more about nature and science. Netting found the Ligonier Valley to be an exceptionally beautiful landscape. The&nbsp;Mellon and Scaife families made the first donation of&nbsp;land totaling 1,160 acres, which later grew to&nbsp;2,200 acres.1 Powdermill is a natural site that also has a human history.&nbsp;In the nineteenth century, the land at Powdermill was home to small communities, family farms, mines, and mills. Few traces of this history remain. Much of the original&nbsp;forest was logged in the early twentieth century, and one section was strip mined for coal. The modern&nbsp;forest&nbsp;is considered "second succession" because it regrew naturally after these events.&nbsp;Once acquired by the Carnegie Museum, staff&nbsp;rehabilitated some of the existing buildings on site&nbsp;into cabins, laboratories, a museum, and a nature center. Today's nature center was first built in 1983, after a fire destroyed the existing center and staff decided to replace the old museum. It was then expanded upon in 2007, integrating recycled materials and eco-friendly systems, such as the Marsh Machine, which uses greenhouse plants to filter water. Three trails, the Black Birch Trail, Sugar Camp Trail, and Porcupine Ridge, meander through the forest and are marked with&nbsp;interpretive trail signs.2 Scientists from a variety of disciplines visit Powdermill to better understand nature's processes, ranging from migration to reforestation to climate change. In 1961, Dr. Netting and ornithologist Robert Leberman established&nbsp;a permanent bird banding lab at&nbsp;Powdermill, where birds are safely collected, tagged by hand, and&nbsp;then released. Powdermill's dataset, now over fifty years old, provides an insightful and unprecedented&nbsp;&nbsp;look into changes in bird migration over time. The GIS Laboratory opened in 2006 to&nbsp;expand research&nbsp;capabilities using spatial technologies.3 Visitors can&nbsp;explore exhibits, attend programs, hike trails, enjoy gardens,&nbsp;and observe scientific research in action at public days or summer camps for children. Powdermill continues to embody the "living museum," a place where nature is studied&nbsp;and appreciated by all who visit.&nbsp;

Powdermill Nature Reserve is the environmental research station of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Since 1956, Powdermill has served as a "living museum" for scientists, students, and families seeking discoveries about the natural world. Located in the beautiful Ligonier Valley, Powdermill conserves 2,200 acres of forest, field, and wetland habitats for local flora and fauna. The nature center is a LEED-certified green building home to exhibits, classrooms, a GIS laboratory, a greenhouse, and outdoor gardens. Three hiking trails provide an up-close look at the forest and stream, Powdermill Run. Also on site is Powdermill Avian Research Center, the longest continually running bird banding program in the nation. 

Powdermill Nature Reserve

<blockquote>Pol·y·math...a person of encyclopedic learning </blockquote> Western Pennsylvania may be best known as home to Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpieces, Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob, but the area includes more examples of his famed Usonian architectural style. Within its 130 wooded acres, Polymath Park boasts four homes that have been preserved and opened to the public. In a career spanning more than 70 years, Frank Lloyd Wright pioneered what he called "organic architecture," in which manmade structures are designed in harmony with nature. Among his many projects, Wright developed the concept of the Usonian home, characterized by local materials, flat roofs, cantilevered overhangs, natural lighting, radiant-floor heating, and visual connections between indoor and outdoor spaces. The word "Usonian" was coined by writer James Duff Law in 1903, who used it to refer to people from the United States, an alternative to the word "American." Wright, who used the word as early as 1927, adopted "Usonian" to describe his vision for a distinctly American architectural style. Peter Berndtson was among Frank Lloyd Wright's first group of apprentices who studied at his Wisconsin estate, Taliesin. There Berndtson met his wife, Cornelia Brierly, a fellow architectural student and one of the first five women to attend Carnegie Tech. The couple relocated to southwestern Pennsylvania, where Berndtson focused on designing private homes. He applied Wright's principles of organic architecture while developing his own unique style. In the 1960s, the Balter and Blum families of Pittsburgh commission Berndtson to design for them Usonian summer homes in the Laurel Highlands. Together they purchased 130 acres of farmland and forest with views of the rolling Chestnut Ridge. Berndtson designed distinct Usonian-inspired homes for each family, the Balter House built in 1963 and the Blum House in 1965. The homes are nestled naturally into the surrounding landscape, using local materials and large windows to blur separation between indoors and outdoors. Berndtson approached the Balters and Blues with a proposal to build a Usonian style community, with five acre lots for each homeowner, named "TreeTops and Mountain Circles." They chose instead to keep the land private, and did so for nearly three decades. In 2000, Thomas and Heather Papinchak purchased a neighboring home built for one of the Blum sons, which is now the TreeTops restaurant. Thomas, who owned a construction company and had a background in architecture, had an affinity for Wright's style and discovered that the homes had fallen into disrepair as rental properties. In 2003, the Papinchaks purchased the 130 acre Balter and Blum property, named it Polymath Park, and restored the two original homes. Shortly after, one of Frank Lloyd Wright's creations, a house built for Donald Duncan in Illinois in 1957, was at risk of being demolished to create a housing complex. Thomas Papinchak's construction company jumped at the opportunity to disassemble and rebuild the house at Polymath Park. The three homes opened for overnight stays and tours in 2007. The Papinchaks founded the nonprofit Usonian Preservation, Inc., to maintain the site. In 2016, Polymath Park was given the opportunity to relocate another at risk Wright home, designed for the Lindholm family in Minnesota in 1952. Mäntylä House, meaning "of the pines," opened to the public in April 2019. Later that year in September, Polymath Park stepped in at the last minute to save another home, this one designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, Jr. in Minnesota. When the house, known as Birdwing, is relocated, it will make Polymath Park the only public site offering tours of works designed by father and son.

Polymath Park is a 130-acre woodland resort and collection of four historic houses that exemplify the architectural style of Frank Lloyd Wright. Two of the homes were designed by Wright himself and later relocated to the property. Two others were designed by Peter Berndtson, a Wright apprentice, and are original to the property. All four homes offer tours and overnight stays. A restaurant, TreeTops, is also on site. The park is overseen by the nonprofit Usonian Preservation, Inc. Located within 30 miles of Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob, Polymath Park is actively engaged with preserving the history and architectural visions of Frank Lloyd Wright and his students. 

Polymath Park

Throughout the nineteenth century, the Overholt and Frick families&nbsp;used Pennsylvania's natural resources to establish impressive businesses and&nbsp;fortunes. They built&nbsp;West Overton as a&nbsp;residence and workplace for their families and their laborers. The eighteen structures that stand today collectively represent an important era and way of life in Pennsylvania history. In 1800, Henry Overholt, a German Mennonite, moved from&nbsp;Bucks County&nbsp;to Westmoreland County to establish a whiskey distillery. By this time, the Pennsylvania frontier was growing more populated and economically successful, with Pittsburgh emerging as an important western city.&nbsp;Henry and his son, Abraham,&nbsp;contributed to this&nbsp;success by building a 1,500-acre enterprise at West Overton&nbsp;over the course of the nineteenth century, consisting of farmland, the family mansion,&nbsp;houses, barns, lumber mills, gristmills, a Blacksmith shop,&nbsp;a cooper shop,&nbsp;and an impressive, six-story distillery.1 Abraham and Mariah Overholt's&nbsp;daughter, Elizabeth, married John W. Frick, a Swiss immigrant gristmiller. Their son, Henry Clay Frick, was born on December 19, 1849, in West Overton's springhouse. For thirty years at&nbsp;West Overton, young Henry learned the&nbsp;ins and outs of managing a large&nbsp;business. Inspired by his family's ambition, Frick began his own entrepreneurial career by investing in the local&nbsp;coke industry.&nbsp;By the 1890s, Frick&nbsp;operated 40% of the coke ovens in the Pittsburgh area and partnered with steel baron Andrew Carnegie to ensure his coke would fuel&nbsp;Pittsburgh's mills. Frick&nbsp;owned the Old Overholt distillery in partnership with Andrew Mellon until his death in 1919, when he left the company to Mellon.2 Old Overholt whiskey was distilled in Broad Ford, Pennsylvania,&nbsp;where it&nbsp;survived Prohibition but struggled as&nbsp;Americans' taste for alcohol changed. The business&nbsp;transferred hands over the twentieth century&nbsp;and the whiskey is now produced by Jim Beam in Kentucky. At over 200 years old, it is the oldest continually-mantained brand of American whiskey. With today's&nbsp;renewed interest in craft alcohol, West Overton will soon provide a taste of history by distilling Overholt&nbsp;whiskey on site. It will be second historic site in the United States to distill whiskey, aside from George Washington's Mount Vernon.3 Both the Overholts and Fricks were known for their philanthropy, especially in education. Henry's daughter,&nbsp;Helen Clay Frick, saw West Overton&nbsp;as a place to memorialize her father and establish a historical site.4 Today, West Overton Village and Museums continues this legacy of education by interpreting the history of the Overholts and Fricks.&nbsp;

West Overton Village and Museums is home to the original Old Overholt whiskey distillery and is the birthplace of Pittsburgh industrialist Henry Clay Frick. West Overton Village aims to educate about the homestead, Overholt and Frick families, the history of American whiskey, and the coke and coal industry in Pennsylvania. With eighteen of its original structures remaining, the site is considered one of the best-preserved examples of a pre-Civil War rural industrial village. West Overton Village was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 and is a stop on the American Whiskey Trail.

Museums and Historic Sites in Westmoreland County

Latrobe Area Historical Society

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Additional Information