Ties to National History | Visit Crawford County, PA
Baldwin Reynolds House Museum

Baldwin Reynolds House Museum

Ties to National History

A county with a local history that directly impacted the future of the nation.

Once roamed by wooly mammoths, Crawford County is the backdrop for the origin stories of ideas, innovations, and historical figures that had a hand in steering the course of America into the modern era. It’s where a young George Washington’s story first began on his way to oust the French from western PA. It’s part of Supreme Court Justice Henry Baldwin’s story as well as abolitionist John Brown as he organized local stations for the Underground Railroad. This is where the oil industry’s story begins with Colonel Edwin Drake’s well, and the story of how an oil tycoon’s monopoly ends through the reporting of journalist Ida Tarbell. Football’s story cannot be told without Titusville’s John Heisman, and the fashion industry may never have been changed forever by the zipper, invented here. These are just a few of the stories highlighting our far-reaching history that has been preserved in places across Crawford County.

Oil Creek & Titusville Railroad

Crawford County Court House

John Brown's Tannery

David Mead Log Cabin

Holland Hall

Tallon Zipper

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Drake Well Museum

Drake Well Museum

Incredible stories of the past you can experience for yourself county-wide in the present

Start your experience with a scenic drive along Washington’s Trail which runs the length of Crawford County. Along the way, stop in Meadville along Diamond Park to do some family research at the Crawford County Historical Society archive inside the beautifully restored Tarr Mansion. Next enjoy a tour of the Baldwin Reynolds House Museum which houses important 19th and 20th paintings including those of Austa Sturdevant. The Museum is also host to many events including the 1920s-themed, Eleanor Davies Croquet Classic. At Greendale Cemetery, you can learn about this area’s prolific figures amid the beauty of over 1,500 rhododendrons. In the Sugar Lake area, visitors will find abolitionist, John Brown’s tannery which was a central stop for slaves seeking freedom. Nearby is Titusville, once known as the Queen City at the peak of the world’s first oil boom that first started at Drake’s Well. Fortunes were made here and legacies remain through the mansions lining East Main Street and mausoleums of Woodlawn Cemetery. Here too you’ll find the childhood home of muckraking journalist, Ida Tarbell. Then enjoy the beauty of the Oil Region with a ride on the Oil Creek and Titusville Railroad.

Local History. National Impact.

Crawford County historic legacy cannot be captured in just one place. However, you can learn more of the story at other historic locations found in our directory listings or through our growing list of itinerary ideas like A Historic Tour of Crawford County. Most of these locations host programs and special events that can be reviewed on our Events Calendar for dates and details.

For more history-related inspiration or to build your own story, download the Visit Crawford mobile app.

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