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“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Jennerstown in Somerset County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
 

Highway Attractions

Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor

 
 
Highway Attractions Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 7, 2009
1. Highway Attractions Marker
Inscription.
Tourists took to the roads in the 1910s, '20s, and '30s not just to exercise their automobile, but to see the country, take in scenic wonders, connect with history, be entertained, and create family memories. Stopping for food and entertainment balanced out the hard work of traveling.

In 1927, James Black Stoughton broke from family tradition of farming and decided to open a sandwich stand. The stand featured chicken salad sandwiches and angel food cake, which soon became a favorite for travelers of the Lincoln Highway. Within a year, the roadside stand was transformed into a small restaurant and won second prize in the Rockefeller wayside stand competition.

Later, several features were added such as the dining room and terraces overlooking the manmade lake. In the 1930s, Stoughton sought to bring cultural entertainment to his customers and decided to open a theater next to the growing restaurant. The Mountain Playhouse was constructed out of an abandoned gristmill that was relocated to the site log by log from Roxsbury to Jennerstown. The first theater production opened on June 24, 1939. Through thousands of stage plays and musicals, the Mountain Playhouse remains one of the oldest professional summer theaters in the United States.
 
Erected by Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: EntertainmentIndustry & CommerceMan-Made FeaturesRoads & Vehicles. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1935.
 
Location. 40° 9.941′ N, 79° 3.61′ W. Marker is in Jennerstown, Pennsylvania, in Somerset County. Marker can be reached from Somerset Pike. Marker is on the grounds of the Mountain Playhouse. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7690 Somerset Pike, Jennerstown PA 15547, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Log Grist Mill (within shouting distance of this marker); Forbes Road (approx. 1.7 miles away); a different marker also named Forbes Road (approx. 1.7 miles away); Frederick S. Duesenberg (approx. 2.7 miles away); Quecreek Mine Accident and Rescue (approx. 6.2 miles away); c.1830s Log Farmstead (approx. 6.7 miles away); Walter's Mill Covered Bridge (approx. 6.7 miles away); Highway Enterprise (approx. 7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Jennerstown.
 
Also see . . .
1. Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor. (Submitted on February 16, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Mountain Playhouse. (Submitted on February 16, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Highway Attractions Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 7, 2009
2. Highway Attractions Marker
Mountain Playhouse in background
 
Photo on Highway Attractions Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Unknown, undated
3. Photo on Highway Attractions Marker
Photograph courtesy of the Stoughton Family Collection
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on January 6, 2021. It was originally submitted on February 16, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 484 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3. submitted on February 16, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

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Apr. 25, 2024