WHITE SWAN HOTEL

It was our young nation’s first Federally-funded interstate highway. Well, “highway” may be an exaggeration. The National Road was at first a muddy, rutted road that carried wagons, stagecoaches, horses, and other assorted livestock from the East coast westward over the Appalachian Mountains. Supplies went to the ever-expanding frontier, while produce, grain, and whiskey were shipped back East.

It would eventually connect the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania (passing through Uniontown and Brownsville), Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. The first approximately 125 miles were built from 1806 to 1818—with an interruption for the War of 1812. It connected Cumberland, Maryland, to Wheeling, Virginia, on the Ohio River.

The road was simply a widened and unpaved improvement over Native American trails and the rough military route that was hewn by the 1755 British expedition led by Major General Edward Braddock to what would become Pittsburgh. In the 1830s the Federal government paved the rapidly deteriorating roadway with a crushed stone base, then turned it over to the states. Pennsylvania and Maryland erected tollhouses to collect money for future repairs.

In the early 20th century, as automobiles became popular, the road was paved with a hard surface and designated US Route 40. Regardless of the mode of transportation and condition, the National Road has attracted many travelers for much of its history. One early observer counted 24 horse-drawn wagons in sight at one time.

That traffic in turn caused many inns and taverns to spring up. There were reportedly 294 inns on the Old Pike between Baltimore and Wheeling, a distance of about 280 miles when you count the Eastern extension from Cumberland to the port of Baltimore.

 In Uniontown, the White Swan Tavern and, later, the hotel became the first major stop for food, drink, and lodging after the arduous trek over the mountains. The original site was a wagon stand where travelers could obtain storage and repairs, and get rest, feed, and water for their teams of draft animals as well as lodging for themselves. It has been said that the white swan picture on the sign was the symbol travelers looked for in days when not many people could read. One of Thomas Brownfield’s daughters, Rachel, was one of the maidens chosen to toss petals at the feet of Lafayette when he did his farewell tour in May of 1825. Rachel would later marry William Searight, a tavern owner, who would become a commissioner of the National Road.

According to the 1913 book A History of Uniontown: The County Seat of Fayette County, Pennsylvania by James Hadden:“Thomas Brownfield first rented this property in 1805, and after conducting a tavern here for some time, he purchased it and continued it as a tavern until his death [in 1829]. The old log bar-room part was the only portion of the original property when Mr. Brownfield bought it, and here he swung out his [White Swan] sign…. In 1818 Mr. Brownfield built a two-story brick building east of the original log part and this was used as a parlor…. His widow Elma, with the assistance of her youngest son, Nathaniel, conducted the business for some years.”

A listing of the famous visitors who stayed at the White Swan included: Henry Clay, Andrew Jackson, Benjamin Harrison, James Polk and Zachary Taylor. In 1907 the White Swan Tavern was razed to make room for a new 150 room grand hotel owned by the White Swan Hotel Company. The officers included: George Hochheimer, President; G.S. Harah, Vice President; J Searight Marshall, Secretary and George O Rush, Treasurer. Guests enjoyed fine dining, dancing and excellent accommodations. But with motorists choosing to stay in convenient motels, the White Swan Hotel became obsolete. A fire in the kitchen in 1966 was the final blow. Later that year, the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development approved a loan for over $1.000,000 to transform the hotel into a seniors’ residence. The grand ballroom became a community meeting center and seventy eight housing units were remodeled and modernized. Recently, the White Swan underwent another significant overhaul from top to bottom with solar panels and other energy saving features installed.