National Road Heritage Corridor
There are few things in history that call to us across time from the beginnings of our nation. The Historic National Road, this Nation’s first federally funded highway is one of them. For more than 600 miles and crossing 6 states (Cumberland, MD to Vandalia, IL), it is a landscape of historic, cultural and archeological significance., scenic beauty and bountiful recreation, and a journey through the lives, fortunes and struggles of the people who forged America.
Cutting across the southwest corner of Pennsylvania, the 90 miles of the Historic National Road in PA is the site of arguably the most important revolutionary events in U.S. history. As the birthplace of the French & Indian Was – the conflict that ignited America’s fight for independence; the Whiskey Rebellion, where the federal authority of the United States was first tested; and the site where the U.S. Constitution faces its first challenge, the National Road is America’s Road to Revolution.
The 90-mile corridor in Pennsylvania, has not only hosted America’s most important political revolutions, but has been the stage for many of the country’s most influential social, industrial and cultural revolutions as well.
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(Photo: Wagon on the National Road Heritage Corridor.)
Things to See and Do
Fallingwater
1491 Mill Run Road, Mill Run, PA 15421
One of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most widely acclaimed works, was built for the Kaufmann Department store family as their weekend home from 1937 to 1963 when the house, the contents and the grounds were presented to the Western PA Conservancy by Edgar Kaufmann.
Kentuck Knob
723 Kentuck Road, Chalk Hill, PA 15421
Designed in 1953 for the I.N. Hagan Family (Hagan Ice Cream) of Uniontown, the house is on a hexagonal module, Kentuck Knob is a small, one story Usonian house. Usonian, meaning affordable for the average American, was a signature design of Frank Lloyd Wright. Both dramatic and serene, the house, situated just below the crest of the hill, appears almost part of the mountain itself and stands 2,050 feet above sea level. As an open floor plan, cantilevered overhangs and great expanses of glass effortlessly integrate the inside with the outside.
Nemacolin Castle
136 Front Street, Brownsville, PA 15417
Formerly Old Fort Burd, Jacob Bowman, the 1st postmaster in Brownsville, first built this structure out of native cut stone as a trading post. Through the decades both Jacob and his heirs built additions on the structure until it grow to the current structure with two floors, lavish fixtures and a turret. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Mt. Saint Macrina
500 W Main Street, Uniontown, PA 15401
Once known as Oak Hill, a 1,000 acre estate owned by JV Thompson, an illustrious coal baron and his second wife Huney, the estate is now occupied by the Order of the Sisters of Saint Basil the Great who have maintained the mansion and many of its original furnishings.
Fort Necessity National Battlefield
1 Washington Parkway, Farmington, PA 15437
This National Park commemorates the events surrounding the start of the French and Indian War as well as the construction of the National Road – the young nation’s first federally funded highway. The main park unit contains the reconstructed Fort Necessity, the historic Mount Washington Tavern, a picnic area, and hiking trails. Fort Necessity/National Road Interpretive and Education Center allows visitors to experience interactive exhibits and view a twenty-minute movie titled, “Road of Necessity”. Both immerse the viewer in periods of history that influenced the formation of this Nation. The visitor center is open daily: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. except on the following federal holidays: January 1, 3rd Monday in January, 3rd Monday in February, 4th Thursday in November, and December 25. Mt Washington Tavern is open May 1 – October 31. Check with the Visitor Center for hours.
Friendship Hill National Historic Site (NPS)
223 New Geneva Road, Point Marion, PA 15474
Friendship Hill was for a time the country estate of Albert Gallatin. Gallatin often referred to as the “Father of the National Road” was Secretary of the Treasury during the Jefferson and Madison administrations. In that time, he reduced the national debt, purchased the Louisiana Territory and funded the Lewis & Clark exploration as well as championing the construction of the Nation’s first federally funded highway without an amendment to the Constitution. Gallatin’s accomplishments and contributions are highlighted at Friendship Hill. The House is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. May through September. From October through April – The Gallatin House is open Saturdays and Sundays only. It is closed on the following federal holidays: November 11, December 25, or January 1.
Abel Colley Tavern & Museum
7083 National Pike, Smock, PA 15480
The house was built @ 1850 by Abel Colley. It served as a family home as well as a tavern. The home was donated to the Fayette County Historical Society by Virginia & Warren Dick. It now houses a museum with both permanent and special exhibits throughout the year. Open year round by appointment.
Searight Toll House
7328 West National Road, Uniontown, PA 15401
Named for William Searight, a prosperous tavern owner on the National Road. One of only two remaining toll houses (originally 6) on the Historic National Road. Operated by the Fayette County Historical Society and open year-round by appointment.
Ohiopyle State Park
171 Dinnerbell Road, Ohiopyle, PA 15470
Laurel Caverns
200 Caverns Park Road Farmington PA 15437
PA’s longest cave, this 435-acre geological park has 3 miles of underground trail and a mean temperature of 62°F. Open every day, even holidays, from April 15th through November 1st. Visitors’ Center entry hours are from 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
LeMoyne House
49 E Maiden Street, Washington, PA 15301
Built in 1812 by John Julius LeMoyne, the father of Francis Julius LeMoyne. Both father and son were physicians, but it was the courageous Francis Julius LeMoyne who, despite the strict Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, risked his personal freedom and fortune and took a stand against the institution of slavery. This successful 19th Century doctor, reformer and builder of the first crematory in the western hemisphere, opened his home and properties as stops along the Underground Railroad – a series of safe hiding places for runaway slaves as they headed north to Canada and freedom.
The David Bradford House
175 S. Main Street, Washington, PA 15301
A National Historic Landmark, this stone structure was the home of David Bradford, one of the leaders of the Whiskey Rebellion, the 1st domestic challenge to the new American government. The Bradford House is open every Wednesday from April through November, from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Tours may be scheduled throughout the year by appointment with 48-hour notice, except New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. To schedule a tour call 724-222-3604 or emailbradfordhouse@verizon.net
Touchstone Center for Crafts
1049 Wharton Furnace Road, Farmington, PA 15437
Touchstone is a unique three-season craft school located in Farmington, PA, part of the Laurel Highlands. This unique craft school includes contemporary and experimental techniques in addition to traditional and historic methods in disciplines such as blacksmithing, ceramics, metals, textiles, glass, oil and watercolor painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture.
State Theatre Center for the Arts
27 E Main Street, Uniontown, PA 15401
Designed by world renowned theatre architect Thomas W. Lamb and hailed as the largest, finest, and most beautiful playhouse in Western Pennsylvania. Today the theatre offers stage productions, musical performances and serves as the venue for dance revues and community gatherings. Tours of this majestic venue are offered by appointment or during regular business hours.
There are few things in history that call to us across time from the beginnings of our nation. The Historic National Road, this Nation’s first federally funded highway is one of them. For more than 600 miles and crossing 6 states (Cumberland, MD to Vandalia, IL), it is a landscape of historic, cultural and archeological significance., scenic beauty and bountiful recreation, and a journey through the lives, fortunes and struggles of the people who forged America.
Cutting across the southwest corner of Pennsylvania, the 90 miles of the Historic National Road in PA is the site of arguably the most important revolutionary events in U.S. history. As the birthplace of the French & Indian Was – the conflict that ignited America’s fight for independence; the Whiskey Rebellion, where the federal authority of the United States was first tested; and the site where the U.S. Constitution faces its first challenge, the National Road is America’s Road to Revolution.
The 90-mile corridor in Pennsylvania, has not only hosted America’s most important political revolutions, but has been the stage for many of the country’s most influential social, industrial and cultural revolutions as well.
Great Allegheny Passage
The 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) soars over valleys, snakes around mountains, and skirts alongside three rivers (the Casselman, Youghiogheny, and Monongaleha) on its nearly level path. Cyclists pass through the Cumberland Narrows, cross the Mason-Dixon Line, top the Eastern Continental Divide at 2,392’, weave through the breathtaking Laurel Highlands, wind their way through 19,052-acre Ohiopyle State Park, journey through the region’s coke, coal, mining, and steel-making corridor, and end at Pittsburgh’s majestic Point State Park.
The GAP connects to the C & O Canal towpath which allows bikers to ride from Pittsburgh to Washington D.C. The towpath is the dirt and stone path that runs 184.5 miles along the C&O Canal, where visitors can walk, run, or bike the distance between Georgetown and Cumberland, MD. It was originally built for the canal mules to walk beside the canal as the “towed” the canal boats through the waterway.
