I took a visit to Friendship Hill National Historic Site as a spur of the moment trip when plans in Morgantown didn’t go quite as planned during my West Virginia road trip. As a pretty big history nerd, I was honestly shocked that I had never heard of this place and knew so little about the founding father who built it. Yet, from the moment we arrived on a blustery October afternoon, I knew I was going to have a great time. Friendship Hill is packed with interesting tidbits of history, architectural details, and a scenic landscape to capture it all in.
A Brief History of Friendship Hill
Albert Gallatin is sometimes referred to as America’s forgotten founding father, and in turn Friendship Hill can be thought of as a forgotten frontier homestead. Gallatin sought to build Friendship Hill as a way for him to get away from his own busy political life, yet he ultimately spent little time living and enjoying Friendship Hill.
The house was constructed over several different phases over 35 years, with other additions created by later owners in the early 1900s. The first portions of the home were built in 1789, a portion of the home known as the Brick House. Albert Gallatin personally oversaw the early construction of the home, including a simple timber structure first added in 1798. The construction of the Stone House, in 1824, was overseen by Gallatin’s son, Albert Rolaz, and is the largest portion of the home. However, the senior Gallatin did not approve of this construction to the home which was very costly.
The grounds themselves were occupied primarily by Albert Gallatin’s family during it’s existence, though still sparingly. As Gallatin spent much of the time he owned it away from home as the Secretary of the Treasury, and later as Ambassador to France and Britain. However, it retained a particular importance to him as one of the few properties he didn’t sell in his early life and where his first wife was buried.
Eventually, Gallatin understood that Friendship Hill would do better in the hands of someone who could care for the property. He sold it in 1832 to Albin Mellier, Jr, and it passed through a number of different owners before being acquired by the National Park Service in 1980. A number of additions to the home occurred in this time, as well as the home being the subject of an arson in 1979. It took a number of years before the home was able to be restored, however, due to the additions it appears today much as it did during the final private ownership of the home in the late 70s.
What to Expect When Visiting Friendship Hill
Friendship Hill National Historic Site is centered around the family home of Albert Gallatin. The property is situated on a bluff overlooking the Monongahela River as it flows north towards it’s eventual meeting with the Alleghany River and the start of the Ohio River. Visitors to the park can enjoy views of the river just a short walk from the home itself.
Speaking of the home, Friendship Hill is a great look at home colonial era homes can evolve over time. The home itself is over 200 years old, and was occupied by various owners for more than 150 years of that time. Thanks to the various different improvements made to the home in that time, the home serves as a way of seeing the evolution of building techniques and materials. Gallatin built much of the home himself, using locally milled and quarried materials.
Visitors to the home will have an opportunity walk through all of it and learn about the life of Albert Gallatin and his family. One of the more interesting parts of the tour in the home are the “windows of history.” These provide a glimpse into the history of the walls and floors surrounding you. My favorite section was seeing how the floor in the parlor had been redone and rebuilt over the life of the home. Perhaps most striking though is the unrestored “Stone Kitchen” which was destroyed by the fire in 1979 but preserved in that state to allow for a better appreciation of the architecture of the home.
Outside of the home, the surrounding grounds provide ample room for hiking and picnicking. Over ten miles of trails are found throughout the park grounds. Most hikers will likely tackle the main loop trail. This 3.8 mile trail takes you past the unmarked grave of Gallatin’s first wife, Sophie, and along the bluff overlooking the Monongahela. All of the other trails in the park branch off from this main loop trail, creating a great way to spend a couple of hours hiking at Friendship Hill.
How to Get to Friendship Hill National Historic Site
Friendship Hill is located in southwestern Pennsylvania, about 80 minutes south of Pittsburgh and 25 minutes north of Morgantown, WV. Travelers coming from the north should take I-79 south to exit 14 and PA-21 towards Morristown. After reaching Morristown, it’s only a few miles south on PA-166 to reach Friendship Hill. Those driving up from Morgantown, have a beautiful drive along US 119 to Point Marion, before getting onto PA-166 for a couple miles to Friendship Hill National Historic Site.
Once you arrive on site, you’ll have two different parking areas to choose from. The smaller parking area is primarily intended for those who are hiking. It provides easy access to many of the trails in the wooded area of the park. Most people will park in the main lot and walk up the hill to see the house. Those who are in need of accessible parking can drive further up towards the house to reduce the length of the walk.
Ways to Spend a Weekend Around Friendship Hill
While Friendship Hill is certainly an interesting destination, it’s not a location you can spend more than a few hours at. However, there is a ton of great history in the surrounding area of southwestern Pennsylvania. Visitors could easily make a trip here as part of a larger trip to Pittsburgh, but I think it would be better to stay closer to Friendship Hill when exploring the surrounding area.
One of the first places I’d recommend history buffs check out is Fort Necessity National Battlefield. It’s one of the best national battlefields in America, and is a short drive from Friendship Hill. Driving to Fort Necessity will take you along the National Road, America’s first “highway” and a project championed by Albert Gallatin. You can also make a stop at the Mount Washington Tavern, one of the first inns setup along the National Road.
Morgantown is the closest major city to Friendship Hill and is packed with great historical places to visit as well. For a bit of local history, you can visit the Morgantown History Museum which provided a great bit of insight on the area when we visited during my trip around West Virginia. If the weather is nice, then a visit to Core Arboretum on the campus of West Virginia University is also a great way to spend part of your day in the area.
It’s not all about history when making a trip to the area. Laurel Caverns are nearby as well, and they represent the largest natural cave in the state of Pennsylvania. Visitors can enjoy either a guided tour of the cave or their own more difficult self-guided walk through the cave. For the more adventurous, there are even cave exploring programs which take you much deeper into the cave into far less accessible areas.
If you haven’t gotten your fill of architecture during your trip to Friendship Hill, then perhaps you can check out Kentuck Knob. This home was built by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1956. It’s a prime example of his desire to marry the organic and inorganic, modern with the natural. Visitors can undertake a guided tour of the home, enjoy its grand views of the Youghiogheny River Gorge, a short walk around the rest of the property.
There are a few options for where you can choose to stay when visiting Friendship Hill National Historic Site. The closest available lodging is Bootsie’s Bed and Breakfast, which is about 15 minutes away. Morgantown has a wide variety of hotel options, but I’d recommend the Hotel Morgan which is in the heart of downtown Morgantown. Finally, if a tent and campground is more your style, consider checking out the campgrounds at Coopers Rock State Forest. Not only will you find a nice campground, but also one of the best views in the entire area!
Final Thoughts on a Visit to Friendship Hill National Historic Site
Friendship Hill is a fascinating look into the life of one of America’s forgotten founding fathers. However, beyond that, it also shows the need for the work that it takes to preserve American history for future generations. Had the home been allowed to fall completely into ruin and care not taken to restore it faithfully, this piece of history would have been lost like so many others. Thanks to the work put into it by the National Park Service, visitors to the area have a rare landmark to enjoy for decades to come.
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