with enthusiastic and
knowledgeable historical
interpreters, helps correct
this oversight, providing
an overview of this war
over territory and its
significance, both in
America and elsewhere.
In the fall of 1758
when nearly 5400
soldiers manned the
fort it was the second
most populated place
in Pennsylvania outside
of Philadelphia. It takes
a leap of imagination
today to picture this
otherwise ordinary
spot, at a relatively busy
intersection surrounded
by small homes, as a
valuable frontier outpost
in a clash of empires.
Brigadier General John
Forbes meant for Ligonier
to be the final link in a
chain of fortifications
built across Pennsylvania
and the staging post for
an attack on the French
at Fort Duquesne (today
the site of Point State
Park in Pittsburgh).
Artifacts include one of
the few intact British red
coat uniforms and George
Washington’s saddle
pistols, once owned by
General Andrew Jackson.
Battle reenactments are
held twice a year.5 p165
The Drive » It’s a pretty 12½
miles on Rte 711 south to Donegal
and the unsightly PA Turnpike.
The overpass will take you to Rte
31 east where you quickly come
to the Fire Cafe and Old General
Store, two good places to stop for
a bite to eat. Take Rte 381 south
the rest of the way.2 Fallingwater
A Frank Lloyd Wright
masterpiece and a national
historic landmark,
Fallingwater (%724-329-
8501; http://www.fallingwater.org; 1491
Mill Run Rd; adult/child $23/17;
hhours vary, closed Jan & Feb)^
looks like an architectural
fantasy. Completed in 1938
(when Pittsburgh was
called the ‘Smoky City’) as
a weekend retreat for the
Kaufmanns, owners of the
Pittsburgh department
store, the project was
extremely over budget at
a total of $155,000 though
Wright’s commission was
only $8000 (to give you a
sense of building costs at
that time, master masons
working on the home
earned around $0.85an hour). Built to bring
the outside and inside
together in harmony,
it blends seamlessly
with its natural setting,
echoing its surroundings
through terraces, ledges,
cantilevering, circles and
semi-circles. One of the
most inventive features,
which operates as a
natural air conditioner, is
the open stairway leading
directly down to Bear Run
stream. Photos can’t do
it justice – nor can they
transmit the sounds of
Fallingwater – and you’ll
likely need a return visit
or two to really appreciate
Wright’s ingenuity and
aesthetic vision.
To see inside you must
take one of the hourly
guided tours (these
began in 1964); during
busy times tours leave
nearly every six minutes,
and reservations several
months in advance are
highly recommended. The
earlier in the morning
the better, otherwise
it can feel crowded;
however, unlike tours
of other similar sights,
there are no velvet ropes.
A two-hour tour with
photography permitted is
offered ($55; times vary
depending on day and
month). The 2000 acres
of attractive forested
grounds open at 8:30am
and the charming cafe
serves seasonally inspired
salads and sandwiches
made from locally
sourced ingredients.
Pick up Neil Levine’s The
Architecture of FrankTRIP HIGHLIGHTe
Through the
Wilds Along
Rte 6
From Pittsburgh take
I-79 north to explore
small towns and the
forested northern tier.
c
Pennsylvania
Dutch CountryFollow the PA Turnpike
(I-76) south and east or
the Lincoln Hwy/Rte30
for a slower, more scenic
route to a compact
patchwork of Amish
farms.
LINK
YOUR
TRIPNEW.JERSEY.&.PENNSYLVANIA.TRIPS.13
.PITTSBURGH & THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS