Fayette County Historical Society/Abel Colley Tavern & Museum

05/14/2026

05/14/2026

On this week’s update of “Fionna’s Patriotic Adventure™,” Fionna Fayette™ decided to Discover Fayette PA by visiting Searights Tollhouse along the National Road Heritage Corridor!

Built in the 1830s, the tollhouse was used to collect fees from travelers using the National Road. Wagons, horses, and livestock traveling west would stop here to pay a small toll before continuing their journey. Tollkeepers even lived inside the building while helping maintain the busy roadway.

While learning about the tollhouse, Fionna compared it to today’s Pennsylvania Turnpike, where travelers still pay tolls to travel across Pennsylvania!

Today, Searights Tollhouse remains one of only two National Road tollhouses still standing in Pennsylvania, helping preserve an important piece of Fayette County history. Be sure to check out the Fayette County Historical Society/Abel Colley Tavern & Museum for more information of this historical site.

Be sure to look out for her next adventure in Fayette County, PA, for the Fayette County, PA 250th.

05/13/2026

This Thursday is the Book Talk with Brady J. Crytzer May 14
5:30 - 7pm | FREE | Light refreshments provided.

05/10/2026

On this day…

May 8th, 1826, Gallatin is appointed Minister Plenipotentiary to Britain. This assignment, lasting just over a year, will be Gallatin’s last official position for his adoptive county.

Appointed by President John Quincy Adams, Gallatin in his new position will help negotiate an extension of the Anglo-American control of Oregon Country (Modern Day southern British Columbia, Washington State, Oregon and Idaho). In October 1827, Gallatin will resign his post to return to his home in Astoria (Queens).

05/10/2026

Today, Sunday, May 10, 2026, our Searights Tollhouse will be open 11-4 and our Abel Colley Tavern Museum will be open 12-3.

At the Abel Colley Tavern Museum, we encourage you to visit and see “Journey to Independence “. Mothers, a complimentary cup of tea awaits to celebrate you!

At the Tollhouse, learn about why it is a Tollhouse instead of just a gate and learn about the builder, Hugh Graham, and his contributions in the area.

05/10/2026

Here's an attractive homestead situated in Ohiopyle. The postcard was sent in 1939. I don't know if the sender has any connection to the Morris farm as it wasn't mentioned in the message. Morris is a fairly common Fayette County name. I'm wondering if this was the home of George Baldwin and Daisy Rohlf Morris. In the federal census George's occupation was listed as farmer. But, on his draft notice, his employer was listed as Edgar J. Kaufmann. So just wondering in what capacity he served Kaufmann and his home, Fallingwater. If I have come to the wrong conclusion about this home's owner, please let me know so that I can add a correction.

If you are looking for something to do tomorrow, please stop by the Tollhouse between 11-4:00 and the Abel Colley Tavern between 12-3:00. Hope to see you.

05/09/2026

Happy Birthday 🥳 wishes going out to our Historical Society president, Christine Buckelew! We have many great and dedicated members in our society, but Chris, and her husband Tom, go above and beyond for our Historical Society. Tom said it best in his post: “Never have I met/known someone who has it all...empathy, devotion to not only family and friends but also the community, creativity in the arts, cooking and thought.” She truly is a beautiful soul!

Chris, your friendship means the world to me and to so many of us, and I wish you the happiest birthday ever! Enjoy your special day because you deserve it!

Love ya! Laurel

05/08/2026

On this day…

May 8, 1811, a contract for the construction of the first section of the National or Cumberland Road is awarded to Henry McKinley. Construction for this federal funded road will begin later in 1811. It is the hope of the Federal government that this new road will help to connect the territories of Louisiana, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan as well as the newly created states of Ohio and Kentucky with the growing cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Charleston.

A real fear exists in the Jefferson Administration that the people west of the Allegheny mountains will fear a disconnect from their countrymen to the east and perhaps offer their goods and allegiances to other nations like France or Spain or Great Britian without this vital infrastructure to connect the growing young nation.

05/06/2026

I recently purchased this 1937 Mt. St. Macrina postcard from the Labor Day pilgrimage. It was sent by someone who had attended. She wrote "We are out in Uniontown looking for Mrs. Gates but the place is so jammed that we can't find her. We wanted to take her out to our place but we had no luck. Your sister, Mary" The second photo is another photo I purchased many years ago showing a Thompson party on the grounds at Oak Hill. The pilgrimage photo reminds me of this photo. The photo from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette was published on Dec. 21, 1933. As you can see from another of my postcards, the photo was copied from that earlier postcard. It is reported that the first pilgrimage, which included the dedication, was held in 1934. The article "Once Gay Mansion Becomes a Convent," was published by the Morning Call of Allentown on August 7, 1934. Numerous papers from around the country carried similar articles. Another article, not posted here, indicated that the mansion was a site of gambling, a lot of gambling. Once Hunnie vacated the mansion, I don't imagine there were many days and nights of gambling. The last article published by the Morning Herald on September 5, 1934, clearly illustrates the scope of the pilgrimage. And the last photo shows the home that once stood on Oak Hill before J.V. Thompson built the mansion for his bride Hunnie. On a recent post I did about Hugh Graham and the four structures he built that are still standing, one of our Facebook friends, Frank Kurtik, posted that it is possible that Graham also built this impressive home. Frank wrote that Robert Barry commissioned Graham to build this home in 1844. Unfortunately this beautiful home is long gone.

Thanks to all of you who help with additional information and photos.

Chris