US-30 Lincoln Highway Long-Cut (Chambersburg, PA to East Liverpool, OH)
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Description
Scenic driving tour along the historic Lincoln Highway through western Pennsylvania
1. 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.
2. The Burning of Chambersburg Historical Marker
Several historical markers and plaques near the Franklin County Courthouse relate the tragic fate of Chambersburg, which was destroyed by Confederate raiders on July 30, 1864. Cavalry under the command of General John McCausland occupied the city and demanded the payment of a ransom, threatening to destroy the city in retribution for the destruction of Virginia homes, families, and food stores should his army not be provided with a large ransom payment. While pro-Confederate raiders also destroyed Lawrence, Kansas, the destruction of Chambersburg was unique in that it was conducted by an official army of the Confederacy.
3. 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.
4. 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."
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Duppstadt's Country Store
Duppstadt’s Country Store lies along a stretch of the Lincoln Highway in Stoystown, Pennsylvania. This general store originally opened in 1904 in a portion of the Williamson family home. Throughout the years, the store has grown and changed owners several times. Since the 1970’s, the Duppstadt family has owned and operated “Buckstown Mall.” They sell a wide variety of products, including local goods and specialty items. Located near the Flight 93 Memorial and Indian Lake Resort, Duppstadt’s Country Store is an old-fashioned and hospitable family-run business.
9. United Flight 93 Memorial
On September 11, 2001, the United States of America fell victim to terrorists who hijacked four airplanes. United Flight 93 is the only plane that did not hit its intended target, the United States Capitol. Forty ordinary people sacrificed their lives when they supposedly overtook the four hijackers aboard United Airlines Flight 93. At 8:42 a.m., the 33 passengers and seven crew members departed from Newark as they began their flight to San Francisco. Sadly, these people had no idea that they only had 81 minutes to live before becoming victims of the worst act of terrorism in American history. During these 81 minutes, the forty passengers supposedly rallied together and prevented the plane from crashing into the United States Capitol. United Flight 93 was one of four planes hijacked by Al-Qaida affiliated terrorists. Unlike the other three hijacked planes, Flight 93 did not hit its intended target. The passengers on this flight had access to internet-connected devices and Airfones, so they learned about the fate of the passengers who were on the planes that struck the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Realizing that they would encounter the same fate, the passengers united and decided to take matters into their own hands. From telephone conversations and cockpit recordings, it is evident that the passengers attempted to overtake the plane using the limited resources at their disposal. One of these important resources was boiling water. Sandy Bradshaw, a flight attendant, informed her husband during a phone call that she was going to boil water to throw at the hijackers. In his final conversation with wife, passenger Jeremy Glick, explained that many of the men on the flight were larger than the hijackers. For this reason, Glick believed that the passengers had the physical strength to overpower the hijackers. Additionally, passenger Todd Beamer tried to make several calls to his wife, but he kept getting the answering machine. In desperation, Todd dialed “0” and reached an operator. Todd prayed with this operator, and then he informed her that the passengers were not going to go down without a fight. The operator said that she heard Todd tell the other passengers, “Let’s roll.” Then, the phone went dead. Traveling at 563 miles per hour, Flight 93 crashed in a field outside of Stoystown, Pennsylvania several minutes later at 10:03 a.m. Since the passengers exhibited exemplary heroism, efforts to develop an official memorial became a top priority for Americans. In the meantime, local residents erected a chicken wire fence on a quiet hillside that overlooked the crash site. This temporary yet powerful memorial in the middle of rural Pennsylvania attracted people from all across the globe who came to pay their respects. This temporary memorial remained for ten years until the National Parks Service completed the first phase of the official United Flight 93 Memorial on September 10, 2011. In 2002, Congress passed the Flight 93 National Memorial Act and allocated $50,000,000 for the construction of the memorial. In 2005, Paul and Milena Murdoch won the international design competition judged by government officials, community members, and the victims’ families. Their design completely transformed the field from an abandoned coalmine to a serene memorial park. The most iconic element of the Murdoch’s design is the memorial wall, which includes a marble slate for each passenger. There is a light at the base of each marble slate, which illuminates the names at night and symbolizes that light can persist even in the darkest times. This memorial provides a quiet place to honor the heroes of Flight 93. The memorial wall located near the crash site lists the names of the victims. If you are interested in learning more about the victims, please read the captions next to the pictures below this paragraph. The pictures are in the same order as the names appear on the memorial wall.
10. 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.
11. Jennerstown Speedway
The historic Jennerstown Speedway Complex is located in Jennerstown, Somerset County in the Western PA’s Laurel Highlands, at the intersection of Rt 30 and Rt 985 on the historic Lincoln Highway. In nearly constant operation since the 1920s, the Jennerstown Speedway Complex has seen nearly 100 years of racecar history on its grounds—from the days of dirt tracks to today’s asphalt affairs.
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. St. Xavier's
In 1831, Sisters of Mercy was founded in Dublin, Ireland. They are a religious institute of Roman Catholic women (Saint Xavier University). In 1843, Sisters of Mercy came to the United States the whole way from Ireland by Saint Frances Xavier Warde. That makes Saint Xavier's the oldest institution in Sisters of Mercy, located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. It was originally located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania but eventually migrated to Latrobe. However, the Sister of Mercy are still located in Pittsburgh today.
16. 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.
17. Site of World's First Drive-In Gas Station Historic Marker
On December 1, 1913, the World's First Drive-In Gas Station opened on "Automobile Row" at the intersection of Baum Boulevard and St. Clair Street in the East Liberty neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
18. The World's Largest Teapot
Located in Chester, this 14-foot teapot is the largest in the world. The teapot represents the significance of the pottery industry in the region since 1938. In 1990, the restoration of this teapot was conducted and completed by a group of citizens from the City of Chester, WV. The World's Largest Teapot has become a major tourist attraction attracting a number of visitors from all over the United States. Come and visit to learn more about the history behind this giant teapot.
19. 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.
