Drake's Log Cabin is a one-room log cabin that shows how early settlers lived. Items from the era are on display.
Southwestern Pennsylvania
The southwestern corner of Pennsylvania is the area that was the original Washington County, formed on March 28, 1781. This is the land to the west of the Monongahela River, from the West Virginia line north and west and south of the Ohio River to the Ohio line.
Parts of the original Washington County are now Greene and portions of Beaver and Allegheny Counties. Both Pennsylvania and Virginia initially claimed this Southwestern Pennsylvania portion of the Commonwealth.
The first National Road, Route 40, came through our area, along with endless visits by the famous surveyors George Washington, Lafayette, George Rogers Clark, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, and many other renowned people.
Join Western Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh Museums to learn more about the county's notable ancestry—and possibly your own.
Museums
Baker Mansion initially was the home of Elias Baker and his family. It now hosts the museum, the county historical society, and a library with a historical archive.
Fort Roberdeau Historic Site and Natural Area includes an 1858 barn containing exhibits and a museum shop, an education center in an 1860 farmhouse, three nature trails, picnic facilities, and White Oak Hall, a large multipurpose facility.
St. Stephen's Old Stone Church is a Protestant Episcopal Church located near the remains of the Bradys Bend Iron Company furnaces. In 1867, the company's trustees granted a parcel of land to each of six religious groups upon receiving $1.00.
Maridon is the only museum in the Western Pennsylvania region specializing in Asian culture, including art objects from China and Japan.
Birthplace and childhood home of ecologist and author Rachel Carson (1907-1964), whose 1962 book Silent Spring helped to launch the environmental movement. Guided tours and classes are available.
During the 1892 labor strike, which pitted Carnegie Steel Company against the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers, the Bost Building served as the union's local headquarters and as the base for American and British newspaper correspondents reporting on the event.
The historical Flatiron Building was built circa 1830 directly on the National Road as a commercial structure. In addition to the historical age of the building, the shape takes the form of an old-fashioned clothing iron; it is a significant structure in the community.
Go back over a hundred years and take a new look at a period in Pittsburgh’s history often characterized by the extremes of late 19th-century America: fabulous wealth and grinding poverty.
Frank L. Melega, known for his depiction of the Coal & Coke Era; used a wide range of styles, subjects & media throughout his artistic career.
The Cascade Antique Gallery is committed to providing an historical atmosphere with diverse products that keep our customers coming back time after time.
In addition to being the organizing force behind saving the Braddock Carnegie Library, the Braddock’s Field Historical Society is dedicated to preserving the history surrounding General Braddock and the French and Indian War.
Mount Pleasant Glass Museum celebrates three glass companies from Mount Pleasant: Bryce, Lenox, and L.E. Smith. Among our treasures are the first headlight lenses made for the Model T and blown and cut crystal glassware used in the White House from the 1920s to the present day.
The opening of western Pennsylvania to settlement was the result of a decisive victory over the Native Americans at the Battle of Bushy Run, August 5th and 6th, 1763.
The Museum, built in the 1850s, was a typical Greene County farmhouse made of locally fired brick. In the late 1800s, several wings were added, and it became the Poor Farm to house the county's indigents. They planted crops and raised farm animals that fed them.
The Ligonier Valley Rail Road Museum is located in a restored station, focusing on the history of the LVRR. Includes authentic bobber caboose.The museum, maintained by Ligonier Valley Rail Road Association, is a non-profit corporation that was organized to:
Victorian Vandergrift Museum is located in the Old Sherman School, 184 Sherman Avenue in Vandergrift, which is currently undergoing massive renovations for our use.
Come to Fort Ligonier and journey back two centuries to a place where the flag of His Majesty King George still flies! Relive the stirring days of young Colonel George Washington and General John Forbes and the encounters of the British and Americans against the French and Indians.
The Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Ligonier Valley is the perfect setting for a stroll, either outside surrounded by our beautiful flower gardens or inside amongst our rotating exhibitions of American art.
Organizations
The Allegheny-Kiski Valley Historical Society is a non-profit, permanent institution whose primary mission is interpreting, preserving, and celebrating our cultural, industrial, and ethnic heritage of the Allegheny and Kiskiminetas river valleys in southwestern Pennsylvania, a region embracing th
Most Greene County residents and neighbors know this organization for the pets offered for adoption and perhaps for the requests for money (any government agency does not regularly fund them at any level).
Founded in 1908, the Westmoreland County Historical Society is dedicated to promoting and fostering knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of history in general, as well as all aspects of the history of Westmoreland County and its people, including those areas within its former boundaries.
The Zelienople Historical Society maintains a museum in Passavant House with many of the original articles brought by Zelie.
Pittsburgh has always been a crossroads for many cultures. This rich tapestry enlivens the city and provides diverse opportunities to experience the artistic, cultural, and intellectual contributions brought by people from around the globe.
Based at the University of Pittsburgh and housed in the Stephen Foster Memorial, the Center for American Music is a library, archive, and museum dedicated to expanding and documenting knowledge of American music and its role in Americ
This Society attempts to fill the historical and genealogical needs for all within a 35-mile radius that do not have a historical organization of their own. They presently own and maintain two cemeteries:
Since its founding in 1875, Indiana University of Pennsylvania has progressed and evolved to match the changing needs of those it serves.
Established in 1927, Butler County Historical Society's main goal was to preserve the history and culture of the county. Back in 1927 a group of locals of the county met to discuss what contiburtion they could make to portray the history of their society.
The Indiana County Historical & Genealogical Society in western PA serves a largely rural area noted for its forest, mineral resources, and scenic beauty. In 1938, the Indiana County Historical & Genealogical Society was founded as a private membership organization.
Once considered New Castle’s “best kept secret”, the word is out on the Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts and its vision to “provide the best possible arts to the greatest number of people”!
Incorporated on February 22, 1988, the Ellwood City Area Historical Society is dedicated to preserving and promoting the rich history of our community.
The Lawrence County Historical Society is located in New Castle. The home of former tin plate mogul, George Greer, it is resplendent in it's glorious woodwork and fine leaded beveled glass made by the Fry Glass Company in Rochester, Pennsylvania.
The Foundation established in 1971, December 14, is a non-profit organization. The name of Beaver County Historical Research and Landmarks Foundation comes from the County name where it is situated.
The Fayette County Historical Society is a non-profit organization established in 1971. Its mission and purpose are to find, collect, and preserve materials that portray the history of the county and the society.
The Society's goal is to arouse interest in local history and historic preservation through education, publications, meetings and events. Since its inception, the Society has grown to include more than 550 members and a permanent museum.
The Latrobe Area Historical Society of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, is dedicated to the collection, study and documentation of the Latrobe community's heritage and to the preservation of local history and its ethnic roots.Periodically the Society offers to the public special programs of his
The mission of the Ligonier Valley Historical Society discover, collect, preserve and disseminate any material which will help to establish or illustrate the exploration, settlement, development and general history of the Ligonier Valley area.
The McKeesport Heritage Center operates a museum and a research center. The museum has numerous displays of local memorabilia, including old photographs.
The mission of the Society for Contemporary Craft is to engage the public in the creative experience as expressed through contemporary craft.The organization seeks to move viewers beyond familiar frames of reference and challenge them to think in new ways about art, while also raising standards o
Opened in October 1988, Perryopolis Area Heritage Society is managed by local enthusiasts who want to preserve, promote, and develop the town's and neighborhood's historical structures and heritage. It is a Pennsylvania-chartered organization with 501(c) (3) not-for-profit status.
Organized in 1994 with 11 members, the Smock Historical Society preserves the heritage of the coal mining community, Smock, and the neighborhood.
The mission of Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania is to educate people of Southwestern Pennsylvania and encourage them to take care of nature.
The William Pitt Union, originally opened in 1898 as the grand Hotel Schenley, has been magnificently restored and now provides students with recreational and social facilities. Its amenities include beautiful study and social lounges, 19th-century ballroom, and modern offices.