Traveling the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor

Entries on This Tour

1. Gettysburg National Military Park (U.S. National Park Service)

Fought over the first three days of July 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg was one of the most important conflicts of the Civil War. The fate of the nation was proven in the summer of 1863 when General Robert E. Lee, commanding the Army of Northern Virginia, led his army north into Pennsylvania, bringing the war directly into Union territory. The Union Army, commanded by Major General George Gordon Meade, met the Confederate invasion near the Pennsylvania crossroads town of Gettysburg, and what began as a chance encounter quickly turned into a desperate, ferocious battle. Despite initial Confederate successes, the battle turned against Lee on July 3rd, and with few options remaining, he ordered his army to retreat to Virginia, but not before 50,000 casualties were caught in the battle. The Union victory at the Battle of Gettysburg resulted not only in Lee's retreat to Virginia, but an end to the hopes of the Confederate States of America’s independence.

2. Gettysburg Heritage Center

Gettysburg Heritage Center borders the Gettysburg National Military Park battlefield and provides guests with an interactive understanding of what the town was like before, during and after the battles that took place in and around Gettysburg. The center has artifacts, historical documents, interactive displays, and 3-D productions. You can also hear accounts of ordinary people doing extraordinary things during a time of chaos.

3. Gettysburg Seminary Ridge Museum

Gettysburg's Seminary Ridge Museum was founded to interpret and share the history of Seminary Ridge and its role within the Battle of Gettysburg, one of the major turning points of the Civil War. Museum professionals restore artifacts and offer exhibits that share the history of this place within the larger history of the American Civil War. The museum is located in a building constructed in 1826 by Samuel Simon Schmucker and the name of the ridge is related to this area's use as the first seminary in the area. This building was held by Union forces headquarters at the start and end of the battle, and was the site of a massive military hospital in the months that followed the battle. U. S. Army Brigadier General John Buford used the domed cupola atop the building to view the battlefield during the first day of the battle. The museum opened in 2013, the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg.

4. Sheely's Round Barn

The round barn in Biglerville, Pennsylvania is one of the only round barns left in the country. At the time, these barns were the most effective because of the unique shape and structure. This barn that was finished in 1914, is just a small snapshot of the rich agricultural history Pennsylvania has. The barn was built by the Sheely family after their previous barn was lost in a fire. They landed on this design after son, Daniel, saw a similar barn in Hersey, Pennsylvania. The barn now hosts events, a farmer’s market, and weddings.

5. Cashtown Inn

Cashtown Inn is a historic inn that has been housing travelers since the early 19th century. During the Civil War that devastated the country from 1860-1865, Cashtown Inn played a role in the Battle of Gettysburg. Because Cashtown Inn was involved in the troop movement and before, during, and after the battle of Gettysburg, its historical relevance has kept it preserved and popular until today. The preserved architecture allowed Cashtown Inn to be featured in the movie Gettysburg, and several actors stayed in the Inn during filming. Visitors stop to experience the history of the area, the relaxing Tavern and Bed and Breakfast, and possibly a paranormal encounter.

6. Totem Pole Playhouse

The Totem Pole Playhouse has been bringing entertainment to Franklin County summers since 1950. After converting a decommissioned auto shop into their theater, Karl Genus and wife Muriel Benson practiced a perseverance that would set the culture of the playhouse. With big names such as Jean Stapleton and Bill Putch, the Totem Pole Playhouse has gained national prestige through unshakable determination.

7. Ritner Boarding House-John Brown

Mary Ritner's Boarding House is best known for its role as the temporary headquarters of John Brown, the radical abolitionist who launched a raid on the federal arsenal at Harper's Ferry as part of a plan to arm and free the slaves of Virginia. Brown's intention was to create a well-armed community and force in the mountains that could defend itself and launch raids on slave plantations throughout the region. If successful, Brown hoped that slaves would rise up and join his community in ways that would lead to the end of slavery in America. Brown stayed at the Ritner Boarding House from June to October in 1859. From this location, Brown and his supporters planned the raid, received supplies, and prepared for their ill-fated mission. The historic boarding house is now a small museum operated by the Franklin County Historical Society.

8. Franklin County Historical Society-Kittochtinny and Old Franklin County Jail

Franklin County Historical Society operates several historic properties throughout the county including this Georgian-style brick building that was once home to the Franklin County Jail. The historical society has been active since 1898, and the former jail which now serves as its headquarters has stood at this location since 1818. Notable attractions at the site include a poem scrawled by a prisoner on the wall of their cell, a reconstructed gallows, and an annual haunted house. The jail held a number of prominent prisoners throughout its history and also survived the burning of the town by Confederate raiders in 1864. At the time of the building’s nomination to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, it was one of the country’s oldest penal institutions still in operation. The building ceased operations as a prison when the new county jail on Franklin Farm Lane opened one year after its nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. At that time, the historical society assumed ownership of the property. The Franklin County Historical Society operates a museum and genealogical library at this site and also offers tours of the old jail and other properties around the county including the John Brown House which is less than a block away. The historical society also operates Brown’s Mill School, St. Thomas Toll House, and Carrick Furnace.

9. Chambers Fort Park

Located at the confluence of Conococheague Creek and Falling Spring, Chambers Fort Park occupies the site once home to the stone house, mill, and wooden palisade that made up the fort of Chambersburg founder Colonel Benjamin Chambers. Chambers arrived to the area in 1730, and over the course of the next fifty years built his namesake town around the 25-foot waterfall at Falling Spring that powered the gristmill and sawmill that made his fortune. While the site may have been the center of town for much of its early history, it also stood at the epicenter of a struggle for control of the Pennsylvania borderlands during the Seven Years’ War that revolved around the fort’s very existence (in particular the presence there of two cannons). The area where the Falling Spring and Conococheague Creek attracted a number of entrepreneurs after Chambers’ death in the 1780s, who used the water to power a series of mills that drew Chambersburg into the industrial networks that emerged over the course of the nineteenth century. The borough of Chambersburg announced its intention to purchase a portion of the site in its master plan for the downtown area in 1995, a location it went on to open as Chambers Fort Park in 2008. The park hosts concerts and movies throughout the summer months, and features a replica water wheel, reconstructed log cabin, the Founding Family statue, and several veterans’ memorials that are open to the public year-round.

10. Chambersburg Heritage Center and Old Valley National Bank Building

The Chambersburg Heritage Center on Memorial Square in the historic Valley National Bank Building provides educational resources on the history of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania and the surrounding area of Franklin County. The Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce opened the center five years after the Chambersburg Area Development Corporation purchased the building on its behalf in 1999. The center houses a gift shop, children’s activity room, and exhibits on the frontier history, architectural history, transportation history, and Civil War history of the city. While the center may be a cornerstone of the historical community in Chambersburg, the building itself is also of significance as the work of Frank Furness, an architect whose designs have become widely celebrated in the last few decades. The Chambersburg Heritage Center is open year-round from Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, and on Saturdays, 10 AM to 3 PM, May to October. The center can also provide guided walking tours upon advance request.

11. Franklin County Courthouse

Built in the Greek Revival architectural style which flourished in the United States in the mid-nineteenth century, Franklin County Courthouse was completed in 1865 and incorporates portions of the previous courthouse that stood at this location and was burned by Confederate raiders under Brigadier General John A. McCausland on July 30, 1864. The courthouse is located just to the east of Memorial Square at the intersection of US-30 and US-11 in downtown Chambersburg and is the third county courthouse that has stood at this site. Because it includes structural elements from the second courthouse built in 1842 and attempted to replicate its basic features, the current Franklin County Courthouse of 1865 is a uniquely visible example of the change in architectural tastes from the Greek Revival to Victorian periods. The courthouse also stands as a testament to the experiences of the lone northern community to be destroyed by Confederate troops during the American Civil War, an event that spurred a nationwide aid campaign in response and resulted in the reconstruction of much of the original core of the town. The current courthouse houses the 39th Judicial District Court of Common Pleas for Franklin and Fulton Counties and is open from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM from Monday to Friday unless it is a county holiday.

12. The Capitol Theatre, Chambersburg

Founded in 1927 by the Pottstown Theatre Company, the Capitol Theatre is a historic and quaint entertainment center in downtown Chambersburg, PA. Designed in the ornate style of the Italian Renaissance, the theater was built to give Americans a fun venue to spend their leisure time and to forget the worries of the day. Currently, the theater offers visitors a variety of classical movies and performing art shows from the twentieth century. This place gives members of the local community an opportunity to create happy and life-long memories with their families and friends. The Capitol Theatre is the only old-fashioned theater of the twentieth century that still exists in Chambersburg today.

13. Carrie Stevenson Tourist Home

The current, original structure of Mrs. Carrie Stevenson’s Tourist Home in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history. From 1938 to 1940, the home was listed in The Negro Motorist Green Book, a traveler’s guidebook for African Americans during the dangerous Jim Crow era. Very importantly, of three sites originally listed in the Green Book in Chambersburg, Mrs. Stevenson’s Tourist Home is the only Negro Motorist Green Book site left in Chambersburg remaining intact; urban renewal of the 1960s saw the demolition of the other two sites. It stands as a testament to the work of African Americans like Mrs. Carrie Stevenson and those who arranged the Negro Motorist Green Book. It is a significant site for understanding African American history, our country’s past, and the narratives and physical locations we must preserve for our future.

14. Fort Loudoun - Pennsylvania State Historic Site

This is a reconstruction of historic Fort Loudoun. The original fort was built in 1756 during the French and Indian War to protect settlers and to stage troops and supplies for the western campaign. A tragic event occurred a short distance from here, as referenced in the book, "A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison."

15. Cowans Gap State Park

The site of a historic 18th century road, Cowan's Gap State Park has experienced the American history of war, industry, and recreational history spanning from the 18th-21st centuries.

16. Fulton House

The Fulton House is a stone tavern built c. 1793 and located on Lincoln Way East in McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania. Originally known as the Union Hotel, the inn has boarded four governers and four presidents, and has been an important stop for travelers along the road it sits (first the Pennsylvania Road, and then the Lincoln Highway)A fire in 1944 destroyed much of the 18th centiry interior, but has been restored to much of its original condition. It also currently houses the offices of the Fulton County Historical Society.

17. Gateway Travel Center

The Gateway Plaza Travel Center is a popular tourist stop-off point located along the Lincoln Highway in Breezewood, PA. It offers several restaurants for traveling guests, along with gas stations and gift shops. The implementation of the PA Turnpike in October of 1940 changed the face of Bedford County and the neighboring area of Breezewood permanently, shifting from what was once nearly completely comprised of rural farmland to becoming a place of rest for tourists traveling towards the south. “The Gateway," as it was called, was an essential resting point for military servicemen and women. Breezewood became recognized as “the town of motels”, and also became home to multiple fast-food restaurants, and several fuel and service stations, which was a tremendous shift from the dynamics of Breezewood previously. It began as a restaurant and service station, around the same time of the Turnpike’s construction, which were both owned by Merle and Marion Snyder until 1956. Throughout the years, there have been a variety of changes made to the Gateway, all of which add to its overall historical value.

18. Espy House

The Espy House, named after its former owner, David Epsy is a historic building in downtown Bedford, Pennsylvania constructed in 1770. Today it is candy and gift shop. The building is significant in that President George Washington stayed here one night in October, 1794. He led a militia of 12,000 men to quell what was a serious threat to the federal government's authority: the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794. The government passed excise tax laws that favored bigger farmers over smaller ones, who, not having access to currency, boiled wheat grains down to whiskey and used the liquor as a form of money. The law meant that they would have to pay the tax with their whiskey. Washington stayed at the house because it was the nicest one in Bedford. He was the only president to lead a military force into an armed conflict. The decision to quell the rebellion gave the federal government legitimacy in that it could enforce, by military means if necessary, laws it passed. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1983.

19. Koontz Coffee Pot

The Koontz Coffee Pot was constructed in 1927, just west of Bedford, Pennsylvania, along the Lincoln Highway. Albert Koontz was the original owner who also owned the automobile service station next door. The Koontz operated the Coffee Pot as a restaurant until 1937 when it was sold to the Neil Pebble and Lorraine Pebble, who then turned it into a bar with an attached three-story hotel. Due to its proximity to the Bedford County Fairgrounds across Route 30, the Coffee Pot had a lot of attraction from fairgoers even though traffic was shifted from the Lincoln Highway to the Pennsylvania Turnpike. In 1977, Wilmer Lashley purchased the Coffee Pot and operated it as a bar until it closed in January of 1989 when it began to fall into disrepair, until 2003. The Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor purchased the Coffee Pot restored it and relocated it for a total of $120,000. It now resides at the Bedford County Fairgrounds.

20. The Lincoln Motor Court

Between 1940 and 1945, The Lincoln Motor Court was established by Clyde Crissey Jr and carpenter Thomas Mitchell. The Motor Court was built along the Lincoln Highway in the ever-popular Bedford County, PA to provide travelers a place to stay along the roadside. The Lincoln Motor Court is the only remaining, fully-functioning motor court along the highway today. The 12 cabins have been kept as close to original as possible, offering visitors an opportunity to immerse themselves into the rich history and culture of the Lincoln Highway.

21. S.S. Grand View Ship Hotel

Upon climbing the Appalachian Mountains and rounding the corner of Grand View Point, a ship stood on the side of the mountain. The S.S. Grand View Ship Hotel was the site of live bands, good food, and a place to stay the night. Since 1932, people have stopped at the ship hotel at Grandview Point to "See 3 States and 7 Counties," as the sign on the ship's hull proclaimed to all passing motorists for nearly 60 years. After closing , the Ship Hotel burned down in 2001. The ship was part of a time when people did not race to their destination, when the success of a trip was measured by the enjoyment of the journey, not just the number of miles accomplished per hour.

22. 9/11 Flight 93 Memorial

The Flight 93 National Memorial sits on about 2,200 acres of land while the actual memorial occupies only about 400 acres. The land where the memorial sits is often referred to as “A common field one day. A field of honor forever.” The land became a crash site on September 11, 2001 when the passengers of Flight 93 fought back against three hijackers. It became a memorial two days later when a Pennsylvania State Trooper, who was providing security to what was at the time an active crime scene, brought a flag to his post to inspire the workers at the site and to show support in the time of a national crisis. A temporary memorial, referred to as Memorial Gate, was erected on a forty-foot fence, for the forty victims, where people left cards, flowers, teddy bears, rosaries, flags and cards. The permanent memorial is free to enter and open to the public.

23. Bicycle Roadside Giant

The Bicycle Roadside Giant was constructed in 2009, near the intersection of Routes 30 and 219 near Jennerstown PA. The tandem bicycle is one of five Roadside Giants that you are able to see as you drive along the Lincoln Highway. The bicycle itself is 17-feet-tall and weighs nearly 2,000 pounds. The construction of this roadside giant was done by the students at Somerset County Technology Center created this Bicycle Built for Two for the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor's Roadside Giants project. The students at this school found their inspiration for this sculpture because of Somerset County's many bike trails, like the popular Great Allegheny Passage. The Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor (LHHC) is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1996. In 2008, the nonprofit Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor worked with Career and Technology Center students from five school districts along the 200-mile Pennsylvania Corridor to create supersized welded roadside sculptures, reminiscent of early 20th century buildings along the historic Lincoln Highway.

24. Quecreek Mine Rescue Site and Visitor's Center

The Quecreek Mine Rescue took place July 24-28, 2002 in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Miners accidentally dug into an abandoned mine which caused flooding. Of the eighteen miners, nine were able to escape while the other nine were trapped underground for over 77 hours. All nine miners were were rescued successfully. The site is now open to visitors to see where and how the miners were rescued. There is also a memorial named the Monument for Life which honors the men and women who helped save the miners.

25. Green Gables Restaurant

Green Gables Restaurant in Jennerstown, Pa. is an upscale eatery with a historic past. In 1927, James Stoughton opened a sandwich stand on the corner of his grandfather’s farm. After a successful first year, the stand was expanded, and rooms and gathering spaces were added on as necessary. Today Green Gables offers a look into the past, displaying many of Stoughton’s paintings and antiques, while offering a modern dining experience. Stop in to explore the grounds, admire the architecture, and learn a thing or two as you wait for a meal.

26. Compass Inn Museum

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.

27. Linn Run State Park

Linn Run is a national state park that was purchased in 1909. Although years ago, this park was considered a waste land it now stands as a flourished park located in the Pennsylvania mountains. This park has many commodities that include, camping, fishing, public trials, waterfalls, and scenic views that can be enjoyed any time of the year. The heart pf the Laurel Mountain is what is to be considered of this park. The park had land ranges that started from 1,300 feet to 2,800 feet above sea level. Some of the most profound historical aspects of this park are where some budlings that had been built in the 1920s still have some remaining standing structures. Within the land of Linn Run State Park there is an abandoned hunting lodge that still sits with some of its original structure. The McGinnis Rod & Gun Club Inc that was built in 1922, the club had existed for roughly 20 years before the building had a fire and only left the remained of the stone walls and the fireplace that is seen today when visiting the park. The park also offers multiple activities for all sorts of individuals wanting to experience the park and the recreations it offers. Some of the activities include, bicycling, camping, fishing, hiking, historical sites, horseback riding, hunting, picnicking, and water sports.

28. Ligonier Beach

Founded on July 2nd, 1925, Ligonier Beach was a fun and relaxing way for travelers driving across the Lincoln Highway. The massive 400-foot by 125-foot pool was once America’s largest swimming pool. Accompanied by a slide, fountain and great local, homemade food added for one of the best summer stops among tiresome families. The giant swimming pool offered many activities like live bands, buffets, and lowered admission days. The famous Ligonier Beach sign was welcoming to all who were looking to cool off and enjoy the Ligonier community. After severe flooding in 2018, Ligonier Beach is closed indefinitely.

29. Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, Ligonier

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.

30. Fort Ligonier

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.

31. Idlewild Park and Soak Zone

Located on Route 30 along the historic Lincoln Highway is Idlewild Park and Soak Zone in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Opened in 1887, Idlewild was initially developed by Judge Thomas Mellon as a means of drawing passengers to the Ligonier Valley Railroad. The Park started as a picnic/camp grounds for visitors to take a “country vacation.” In the 1930s, the Park changed management and began to form into an amusement park. It was in the 1950s when the focus of the Park began to be centered on children and family fun. Maintaining business through the Great Depression, World War I and II, Idlewild stands today as the longest-operating amusement park in Pennsylvania and the 3rd oldest in the nation.

32. Ligonier Valley Rail Road Museum

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.

33. Lincoln Highway Experience

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!"

34. Latrobe Country Club - Arnold Palmer

The Latrobe Country Club is the golf course where Arnold Palmer got his start as a golfer. His father, Milfred J. Palmer - Deacon (or "Deke") designed the course and was head groundskeeper of the club and the club pro. It was founded in 1920 by some leading industrialists, professional people, and bankers in the Latrobe, Pennsylvania area. The course was purchased by Arnold Palmer and remains in the family. In 2012, it became open to the public. It is located on US-30, The Lincoln Highway.

35. Latrobe Area Historical Society

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.

36. Mr. Fred Rogers Statue and James Hillis Rogers Park

Born and raised in Latrobe, Mister Rogers was the creator, composer, host, and puppeteer of the award winning TV program Mister Rogers Neighborhood; a program that emphasized kindness, compassion, and learning. Located on the corner of Jefferson and Main Street in James Hillis Rogers Memorial Park, sits the Fred Rogers historical marker and statue to honor his many accomplishments and contributions to the Latrobe community and the nation as a whole.

37. Inn at Mountain View

The Inn at Mountain View, now renamed to Mountain View Inn, is a historic hotel located just outside of Greensburg, PA. A hotel that has been around for nearly 100 years that has been heavily expanded and reworked to accommodate multiple generations of visitors currently boasts a high number of guest rooms along with a breathtaking view of the surrounding Westmoreland County and the Laurel Mountains peeking over the horizon. The Inn at Mountain View has been a successful landmark and staple within Westmoreland County and has given many Lincoln Highway travelers and comfortable place to stay overnight and even accommodates for long-term visitors. The landscape of the inn has changed drastically over the years, with every new owner altering the hotel to the way they see fit, whether it be adding a pool, expanding the living quarters with more room for guests, or demolishing a part of the hotel entirely. The Mountain View Inn has also seen its fair share of famous and memorable faces.

38. Historic 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.

39. The Westmoreland History Education Center

The Westmoreland Historical Society Education Center ,located at Historic Hanna’s Town is the newest building on the property. After years of trying to finish this project, it was finally completed in 2019. The Education Center is used to interpret and preserve history from everywhere in Westmoreland County. The Education Center includes a gift shop, library, gallery display, archival collection, and ticket office for tours.

40. The Westmoreland Museum of American Art

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.

41. Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department Museum

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.

42. Norwin Historical Society

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.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

Traveling the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor

Created by Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor on December 30th 2021, 6:20:09 pm.

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Explore historical highlights of the 200-mile Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor in southwestern-southcentral Pennsylvania! A designated Pennsylvania Heritage Area, the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor preserves the history and heritage of America's first coast-to-coast highway. Note: Not all sights featured in this driving tour are along the original alignment of the Lincoln Highway--but all are within a few miles, and all have a rich history shaped by the road.

Entries on This Tour

Traveling the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor

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