William Searight acquired this farm on property that had once belonged to George Washington. He built this mill around 1810. Searight is credited for realizing that rural fulling mills (fulling is a process in the creation of woolen cloth) could not compete with urban mills that were serviced by canals and combined each process of cloth production in one area. Recognizing that fulling mills would no longer be viable businesses, he sold this property before the mill became unprofitable. The building is now owned by the Parks and Recreation Authority of Perryopolis. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
The Heritage Society has restored this building, using the original stones. The distillery is now in mostly-authentic condition. While being renovated, it was updated with electricity. The Heritage Society was required to add electricity because it is now a public building.
This 7-acre park contains several recreated historical structures that once stood here. These reconstructed buildings include a grist mill that George Washington once owned, a 1790s distillery, and a 1850s beehive bake oven. The park is owned and operated by the Perryopolis Parks and Recreation Authority and one should contact it for information regarding the park's access to the public.
The land for George Washington's Grist Mill was purchased in 1774, and construction completed in 1776. The Mill has belonged to Powell Hough, John Strickler, and Jacob Strawn. Strawn's heirs proceeded to sell it to George Anderson, who repaired it in 1859, and later sold it to Samuel Smith. The Mill today belongs to Perryopolis Parks and Recreation Authority.
Michael Karolcik built and opened his theater on Thanksgiving Day in 1921. Known as the Perry Theater today, the historic structure is just one of a few remaining brick and mortar buildings erected in the hub of the town’s circle during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It housed much more than a theater when it first opened, but the theater was the main attraction as it hosted vaudeville shows and musicals in addition to movies. The Karolcik family sold the building in the mid-1980s and it now rents out space to local businesses. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
The Perryopolis Area History Museum, formally known as the Old State Bank Museum, opened its doors in 2014. It is housed in the former Youghiogheny Bank of Pennsylvania building that was constructed sometime around 1815 and is the oldest building in the borough. The museum, which is run by the Perryopolis Area Heritage Society, displays numerous local antiques, historical artifacts and documents. It also contains a genealogy research room for public use. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
Also known as St. Nicholas Greek Catholic Church, the St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church is a historical Catholic church in Perryopolis, PA. It was built between 1912 and 1918, and is a 30 feet by 60 feet yellow brick building in the Byzantine Revival style. It has a cruciform plan and the gabled roof is topped by four onion domes. The church served a community of Rusyns who originally settled in the area prior to 1907.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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This tour offers guided directions to many of the leading historical attractions of Perryopolis. The tour includes several historical buildings as well as landmarks and the local history museum.
