Compass Inn is unique structure with diverse architectural styles
This overall front and left side elevation view shows the distinctive architectural styles and construction of the original 1799 log portion and the 1820 out stone portion.
This view of the rear of the Compass Inn shows the distinct contrast of the three separate phases of construction.
The summer kitchen, which was constructed in 1820 and the blacksmith shop beyond, further enhance not only the grounds but add to the history of the inn.
The interior view of the common room/bar area, located on the first floor of the 1820 cut stone addition is nicely appointed with period correct furnishings and artifacts.
One of the truly unique aspects when considering the specific architectural style of structures located in Southwestern Pennsylvania is the diversity of types that area has available for review.
Unlike many other areas in the United States that may have been established within small windows of chronological growth, the tri-state area has flourished at different and defined times.
That being established, it can sometimes be rather easy to determine a structure’s style based simply upon the date of its construction. The actual time of construction cannot only determine a certain style that may have been popular at that time, but also the construction type and method utilized.
Although many structures for various reasons have been modified and revised, commonly when a structure is transformed, the original aspects of the existing portion may be revised as well to accommodate the transformation process. That being established, it is rather rare to find a structure like The Compass Inn on Route 30 in Laughlintown, Westmoreland County, which has been erected in three specific phases and has still retained the original style, charm and related details of the original construction and the successive revisions.
The original portion of The Compass Inn is the log structure, which was constructed in 1799 under the direction of Phillip Freeman, who purchased the land from Robert Laughlin, who the community in which the inn is in was named after.
The original log structure can best be described as a two-story, three-ranked, side-gabled, pre-railroad, midland style, single-pen log home. The single-pen reference is in regards to its individual rectangular “pen-like” configuration. The original portion was constructed utilizing massive hand-hewed logs with wonderful v-notched corner treatments and horizontal joint space chinking and daubing.
The upper gable end walls have been constructed utilizing a conventional platform-type technique with clap board-type horizontal siding. Of particular note is the full-length front porch with dropped shed roof, which not only dates to the original structure configuration, but is a truly functional and aesthetic feature.
The porch roof support posts have chamfered corners, which have been shaved at 45 degree angles and are quite representative of the structure’s date of original construction. The overall present roof surface is a very nice representative of a period-correct staggered pattern wood-shingle roof.
The six-over-six and six-over-nine double hung wood windows are original types and are befitting of the structure’s existence. The interior of the inn was originally constructed with a common room and kitchen on the first floor. The second floor featured two bedrooms for guests and two rooms that functioned as living quarters for the inn keeper.
In 1814, Robert and Rachel Armour were en route from the eastern part of Pennsylvania to Pittsburgh, where they were to begin a glass business. As fate would have it, they stopped at the inn and liked it so much they decided to purchase it and named it The Compass Inn.
Their timing could not have been better, as the business was secured in 1817 when the Philadelphia-to-Pittsburgh Turnpike was completed. Almost overnight, stagecoaches were passing by on a regular basis. To accommodate the increase in his business, Mr. Armor added the two-story addition located along the right of the existing log structure in 1820.
The addition is a continuation of the original configuration, although the actual construction technique is completely different. The addition was constructed of ashlar cut stone in an irregular course pattern. The roof and exterior wall surfaces are in direct alignment with the original portion, which along with symmetrically placed window locations form a certain sense of uniformity.
Although the front and rear overhang portions are in similar alignment, the trim details are completely different in regards to outward appearance. The built-up and layered roof/wall juncture moulding and trim are indicative of a colonial home influenced in the Georgian style. The functional aspects of the interior layout were changed with the construction of the 1820 addition.
The original first-floor common room then functioned as the ladies parlor and the original kitchen was utilized as a serving kitchen. The additional first-floor area was utilized as a common room and bar. The second floor functionally was transformed to accommodate three bedrooms for male guests and one bedroom for women and children, as well as the inn keeper’s quarters.
To better serve the needs of the guests a separate structure that functioned as a summer kitchen was constructed circa 1820 directly behind the stone addition. A one-story, gable-peaked, conventional wood frame with horizontal applied clapboard siding addition was constructed in 1862 behind the original 1799 log portion of the structure to serve as a kitchen when the structure was converted to a private residence and general store.
In 1966 the Ligonier Valley Historical Society purchased the property from an Armor descendant. After six years of painstaking restoration efforts the structures and grounds were opened for public visitation in 1972.
The interior and exterior of The Compass Inn have been wonderfully restored to reflect the conditions that would have been common place at the time of the inn’s heyday in the early 1800s. Additionally, a large barn, blacksmith shop and the aforementioned summer kitchen have been rebuilt to exacting standards and serve to compliment The Compass Inn.
One need not look far to view and explore a structure with three distinct architectural styles as The Compass Inn serves as a truly wonderful illustration of just such an example. A visit to The Compass Inn Museum is a wonderful experience not only for the architectural beauty but for its unique history.
Editor’s note: This is another in a series of stories by Robert Adamovich, a residential architectural designer since 1974, a retired design engineer and local architectural historian. The creator and host of HSTV’s “Historically Speaking,” Adamovich is also an award-winning historical artist. He can be reached by phone at 724-439-3711. His website is www.RobertAdamovich.com.
Just the Facts
Structure type: Two-story tavern/inn and one-story addition with public, guest and inn keeper’s quarters.
Structure style/addition: Original portion, side-gabled, pre-railroad, midland-style log structure. First addition, side gabled overall continuation configuration ashlar cut stone style. Second addition, one-story gable peaked conventional wood frame horizontal clapboard siding structure.
Location: 1386 Route 30 East, Laughlintown, Pa.
Date designed/built: Original structure, 1799; first addition, 1820; second addition, 1862.
Designer/builder: Original owners at time of construction.
Owner: Original Phillip Freeman 1799-1807. Benjamin Johnson, 1807-1813; Frederick Myers, 1813-1814, Robert and Rachel Armor and various descendants 1814-1966, Ligonier Valley Historical Society, 1966-present.
Special thanks to: James Koontz, inn keeper and curator of The Compass Inn for his assistance and to share his passion of its history and beauty. The Ligonier Valley Historical Society continues to do a wonderful job not only on the restoration and maintenance of the inn but also for the history aspect as well.
If you are going: Present hours Tuesday-Saturday, 11a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. Closed Mondays. Phone 724-238-4983, on the web: www.compassinn.com.
Of special interest: Special holiday tours and events are always on the agenda at The Compass Inn Museum. Check out their calendar for the listings and dates.