A Visit to Friendship Hill National Historic Site

Who would have guessed that someone whom we had never heard of before we visit his house, Friendship Hill, would have turned out to be such a fascinating man.. Albert Gallatin was born in Switzerland and came to this country as a young man. Among other things, he taught French at Harvard before moving west to the Pittsburgh area. He was elected to Congress and eventually was the Secretary of the Treasury under Thomas Jefferson.

His major claims to fame are the fact that he is responsible for the Louisiana Purchase and also for getting the Louis and Clarke Expedition going. It is hard to imagine why someone who was so important to this country’s early development has been almost entirely forgotten by the majority of Americans.

Friendship Hill is the home he built and where he brought home his first wife, Sophie Allegre. This is a sad story, Sophie died within months of their wedding having married against the wishes of her mother and never having been reconciled with her. Her grave is still on the property and though it is unmarked per her wishes it is surrounded by a small wall so that you can find it. Eventually, Albert did marry and had children but his wife never cared much for the house, she was a city girl and I am sure that as the second wife didn’t need to be reminded of his first love.

The house is now owned by the National Park Service. You begin your visit in the gift shop, there is a short video that you can sit and watch. Albert introduces himself to you and also tells you his story. You then walk through the house on a self-guided tour. There is an elevator to take you to the second floor and to the basement where the restrooms are. A couple of rooms are offered that can only be viewed by walking up a staircase.

The grounds are well worth walking through. A gazebo in the rear of the property has great views of the Monongahela River. You can also choose to visit Sophie’s grave which is across the yard, down a hill, along a meadow and through the woods. It is definitely not wheelchair accessible.

Picnic tables are located near the parking lot if you care to bring your lunch and the walkway from the lot is steep but paved so it would be accessible.

The gift shop has the typical Park Department items with a few really interesting books thrown in. Admission is free. I highly recommend a visit to Friendship Hill which is located in Marion, Pennsylvania.