Have you ever wondered where the first colonial settlement in northwest Pennsylvania was located? Well, look no further than Meadville. In 1787, at the age of 36, David Mead and his brother, John, went scouting the northwestern Pennsylvania wilderness for a new location to settle.
On May 12, 1788, they camped under a wild cherry tree on the east bank of French Creek and built a log cabin, which became the first building of a new settlement. Settling there, they founding the first permanent settlement in all of Northwestern Pennsylvania.
The current David Mead Log Cabin in Meadville's Bicentennial Park is a replica of the original structure, constructed with a split-room design—one room for the family residence and the other for storage. It is also the site of one of the first schoolrooms in the area. David's second wife, Jeannette Finney, began teaching classes here shortly after their marriage.
During the month of May, trained docents conduct classes for area students in the schoolroom as they would have been taught 200 years ago. The cabin is also available by appointment for tours to community groups and organizations.
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