Pennsylvania has played an influential role in American history from religious freedom to the Civil War and beyond.
No matter your interest – from discovering more about Pennsylvania’s Founding Fathers or coal mining history, to visiting historic sites. Pennsylvania offers plenty of historical attractions.
Fort Ligonier
Fort Ligonier serves as a reminder of a time when Pennsylvania was still part of the British Empire, George Washington was still fighting in British armies, and Ohio Valley was still an expansive frontier – all three are elements that brought together during American Revolution and religious liberty movements.
Construction began on the Fort at Loyalhanna (originally known as Post at Loyalhanna) in 1758 after British forces failed to capture French-controlled Fort Duquesne during Braddock Expedition. Led by General John Forbes on the edge of Laurel Highlands, its engineers designed it with massive invincibility in mind; however, Forbes quickly instructed them instead to prioritize speed and simplicity instead.
He also created what has come to be known as The Diamond as a public square and required anyone who purchased land there within seven years to build two-story brick structures or face fines; Ligonier eventually outgrew the fort and became Pennsylvania’s second-largest city behind Philadelphia.
Fort Necessity National Battlefield
Pennsylvania boasts many well-known historic sites, but it also contains many lesser-known gems – Fort Necessity National Battlefield being one of them. Here George Washington and his troops fought their first and only surrender battle in 1754 as part of his military foray into western Pennsylvania to push off territory claimed by France – it eventually led to America achieving independence from British rule.
Fort Stanwix preserves the site of this battle, featuring accurate replicas of what Washington’s troops built at this location. In addition, there is a visitor center and museum as well as movie theatre and an expansive park store in its park setting. Plan on spending two to three hours at this attraction before visiting Jumonville Glen and Braddock’s Grave.
Carrie Furnaces
The Carrie Furnaces were once an impressive sight of steel production, physical transforming iron oxides into liquid steel in a massive facility run by U.S Steel’s Homestead Works and providing steady employment to thousands of workers drawn by promises of steady paychecks. Today, this National Historic Landmark site is open to public tours and events.
Kirsten Paine understands the value of making history come alive for visitors as an educator in museum education. As she leads tours at Carrie Blast Furnaces National Park and believes archival study and teaching from primary sources are keys to its success, Kirsten’s tour for Green Building Alliance combined historical, industrial aspects with post-industrial revitalization made possible through Rivers of Steel over recent years – providing an experience which demonstrated how historic sites serve as powerful reminders of progress made over time.
Shanksville Memorial
Erie National Historic Landmark is one of Pennsylvania’s top tourist attractions and features a board-for-board replica of Drake oil well, operating oil field machinery, 12,000 square feet of interior exhibit space and the world’s largest artifact and archive collection relating to the birth of modern petroleum industry.
Visitors to this historic site can either self-guide their tour or attend ranger-led programs in order to explore and gain an understanding of it. It was used during the American Revolution as a defense against French and Indian attacks; its location also houses Thaddeus Kosciuszko’s home – himself an inventor and engineer who taught himself many disciplines; therefore making this stop an invaluable opportunity for anyone wishing to understand more about American history as it continues to shape our lives today.
