First time to the LeMoyne House. It has a lot of rich history in Washington County. They were…read moreperforming a walk through of the Whiskey Rebellion here for the Whiskey Rebellion Festival in 2021. I didn't have a chance to do a walk through of the house and not sure if it's available, but so much history in downtown washington, pa.

This being my first time to Pittsburgh, I wasn't expecting the traffic so I showed up at 3:06. The…read morelast tour began at 3 p.m. so unfortunately I wasn't able to participate in the tour. However, I don't know if it was my puppy dog face or not but the elderly volunteer grabbed up some papers and gave me a tour in about 5 minutes. Enough to see what I needed to see! In fact, I went to check out the courthouse afterward and ran into another couple who had taken the tour and they said I probably had a better one because the other is very lengthy and I really just wanted to know about the Underground Railroad history. She said there wasn't much to it, only that slaves hid under the woman's bed and when soldiers approached, she said she was alone and asked them to leave. The LeMoyne House stands as one of the best preserved Underground Railroad sites in the United States. The LeMoyne House is also home to artifacts from nearly every war I can thing of. The items aren't really relevant to the story of the home but it was neat to see them. Some history: The LeMoyne House, a National Historic Landmark, was built in 1812, and was a center of antislavery activity in southwestern Pennsylvania from the 1830s through the end of slavery. Dr. F. Julius LeMoyne (1798-1879), the son of a Parisian doctor who immigrated to the United States, was born in Washington and studied medicine at the Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. In 1834, LeMoyne joined the Washington Anti-Slavery Society and was the organization's president from 1835 to 1837, after which he was commissioned by the American Anti-Slavery Society to be its regional agent. LeMoyne, along with his children and wife Madelaine, were active in the Underground Railroad. The tightly knit free black communities in southwest Pennsylvania helped slaves escape and developed an operational network that white antislavery activists, such as LeMoyne, joined. LeMoyne's correspondence from the 1840s includes letters from individuals asking for aid and thanking him for his assistance in getting them and their friends and relatives out of the South. In his activism and philosophy, LeMoyne represents the mainstream of antislavery activity in the United States before 1850 and is typical of the middle-class Americans of the antebellum period who became caught up in the antislavery debate. In addition to building the first crematory in the United States, Dr. Francis LeMoyne was an active abolitionist who founded the Washington County Antislavery Society in 1835. Because of his leadership efforts, he was nominated by other abolitionists (under the banner of the Liberty Party) for vice president of the United States in 1840 and for governor of Pennsylvania on three different occasions. He declined each nomination, but his name appeared on the ballots anyway. Local tradition maintains that the LeMoynes worked together as a family to hide runaways in their Washington County home. Recollections from their eight children suggest that as many as 25 fugitives stayed in the residence at one time. After the Civil War, Dr. LeMoyne remained active in social causes, including support for equal rights for women and the advancement of newly freed slaves. In 1870, his donation of $20,000 established a school for freedmen, the LeMoyne Normal and Commercial School in Memphis, Tennessee. Francis Julius LeMoyne died in 1879 at the age of 81.

Bradford House was built by the lawyer David Bradford in 1788 and today is a National Historic…read moreLandmark and museum. David, his wife, his many children, and his servants lived in this stone house until 1794, when they fled to avoid David's arrest for his role in the Whiskey Rebellion. Depending on the month, Bradford House offers drop-in and scheduled tours. The drop-in tours are for individuals and small groups and have no admission fee, although donations are appreciated. Group tours should be arranged in advance and do have an admission fee. I read on their website that for groups they offer dining-room parties that serve teas and 18th-century-style foods--sounds fun! My husband and I were walk-ins for a tour. Two docents who were dressed in period clothing walked us through the house: the foyer, parlor, and dining room on the first floor; the beautiful mahogany stairwell and the simpler servants' stairwell; and the sewing room, children's room, master bedroom, and servants' quarters on the top floor. In addition, a docent walked us to the backyard that contained an herb garden, well, and log kitchen cabin (which has occasional hearth-cooking demonstrations). A small gift shop offered merchandise such as books and t-shirts. The docents throughly explained the history of the house, its architecture and renovation, the furniture (which is from the time period but was not owned by the Bradfords), etcetera, and they kindly answered our questions. I did not time our tour, but we were there for probably about one hour. Educational and interesting!

Nice little house with tours given by docents. Captures the Whiskey Rebellion era from a house that…read morewas from that time. Docents were knowledgeable and friendly. Worth a stop and optional donation.

This marker points out the history of a local hero who went on to literally make waves…read moreinternationally. The marker is in front of the courthouse and is easily legible. It reads, "Born December 13, 1860, on this site. Graduate of the United States Naval Academy. Went to China in 1885, built up and trained its Navy. September 17, 1894, it fought the Japanese to a draw in a naval battle at Yalu River. McGiffin died in 1897 from his injuries." The marker was erected in 1947 by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Online, there is more information. Although McGiffin was primarily skilled as an instructor and administrator, he proved a talented tactician during the September 17, 1894 Battle of the Yalu River as well as the first American to command a modern battleship in wartime. Arriving in China soon after and seeking employment, McGiffin was able to earn a commission as a lieutenant in the newly modernizing Imperial Chinese Navy under Li Hung-chang in early 1885. In the midst of the Sino-French War, McGiffin was said to have captured a French gunboat in June before the end of the war that same year. [Review 20410 overall - 620 in Pennsylvania - 1389 of 2023.]

This was an unexpected stop on our way from Columbus to Pittsburgh…read more We really enjoyed it. You can walk on old Trollys, learn how Trollys work with their interactive area and loads of volunteers to answer your questions. Definitely check out

This is such a fun places for people of all ages! Kids love it because there are hands on…read moreactivities and a fun ride. Adults love it because there is some interesting history plus the trolley ride! A huge plus is that this location is Autism certified and they really mean it. Every staff person has been trained and are knowledgeable about their programs that they offer and are great at what they do. The museum was recently redone and has a lot of interactive exhibits and fun historical displays. There is a lot to read and learn, or kids can just enjoy the game aspect of some of the exhibits. When you exit the museum, you are at the trolley stop and can take a ride on the trolleys! They depart twice an hour (check the schedule when you are getting your tickets). The day I visited they had a New Orleans car and another that were alternating rides. It was fun to take the fairly quick round trip and get some additional information about trolleys. There is another building beyond the trolley tracks that has a large variety of trolleys from various eras and in various states of repair. You can walk through some of them and others you can just look at. There is also the famous Mr. Roger's Trolley. They have a lot of fun special events (like Santa and Easter Bunny trolleys). I highly recommend a visit here for people of all ages and interests!