Latrobe in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Johnston House at Kingston
Est, 1815
— Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor —
A residence and farm, a stagecoach stop, a tavern, an office building and a museum!
In 1812, Scotch-Irish immigrant Alexander Johnston (who lived to be almost 100 yrs.) began erecting this landmark structure. The stone for the building and five fireplaces was taken from the bed of the nearby Loyalhanna Creek. Alexander and his wife, Elizabeth, had eight sons and two daughters. Through the years, the house had many uses. In the 1820s, a large 1 1/2 story wing was added to the west end of the home as a tavern to accommodate the traveling public on the newly constructed Greensburg/Stoystown Turnpike. Presidents Taylor and Harrison were among those who stopped at the Kingston House, famous for its good meals and punch. The property's large barn served as a relay station for stagecoaches en route to Pittsburgh or Philadelphia.
Prior to 1954, when the roadway alongside of the Johnston House (the Lincoln Highway, then later Route 30) was two-way, the original front door was on the east side of the building. Now that the road is one-way, the main entrance is on the west side. Ligonier resident Victor Smith Sr. purchased the property in 1979 and nominated it to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Mr. Smith made a few changes to the home: enclosed the back porch on this side of the main building; enclosed the original back porch on the south side of the building; and also created a breezeway to connect the main building to a small frame wash house.
The deed transferred in 2011 to the nonprofit Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor, who developed Lincoln Highway Experience museum, and uses this site as their headquarters for administering the Corridor from North Huntingdon in the west, to the York County line in the east.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Man-Made Features • Notable Buildings • Roads & Vehicles. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #12 Zachary Taylor, and the Lincoln Highway series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1812.
Location. 40° 17.479′ N, 79° 20.525′ W. Marker is in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, in Westmoreland County. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3435 Lincoln Highway, Latrobe PA 15650, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Johnston House (within shouting distance of this marker); Arthur Saint Clair (approx. 1.2 miles away); Saint Clair Hollow (approx. 1.2 miles away); Welcome to Youngstown (approx. 1.4 miles away); Latrobe Presbyterian Church (approx. 2.8 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 2.8 miles away); Second Ward School and Bell (approx. 2.8 miles away); a different marker also named Veterans Memorial (approx. 2.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Latrobe.
Also see . . . Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor. (Submitted on October 23, 2016, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 23, 2021. It was originally submitted on October 23, 2016, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. This page has been viewed 802 times since then and 94 times this year. Last updated on February 23, 2021, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on October 23, 2016, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.