Pennsylvania House (Springfield, Ohio)
Encyclopedia
The Pennsylvania House is a historic inn
and tavern
in western Springfield
, Ohio
, United States
. Built circa 1822, this three-story
brick Federal
structure lies along the original National Road
and near the old road that connects Springfield with Dayton, Ohio
.
In the early years of the nineteenth century, the National and Dayton-Springfield Roads were major transportation arteries for those bound for the West and for Cincinnati respectively. Inns such as the Pennsylvania House were instrumental in facilitating travel for the many would-be settlers and merchants headed for the western frontier and for all sorts of travellers proceeding southwest. Before the coming of the railroads, the Pennsylvania House provided beds and food for commoners and famous individuals alike. According to local lore, among the inn's guests were such individuals as Henry Clay
, Charles Dickens
, Andrew Jackson
, and James K. Polk
. The inn's owners typically lived on the premises; among the various owners were the family of Isaac Kaufmann Funk
, founder of Funk and Wagnalls
.
After more than twenty years of prosperity, the inn's traffic shrank after railroads reached Springfield in 1846. By the end of the Civil War
, travellers on the National Road were so rare that the Pennsylvania House saw very little traffic indeed, and it closed in 1869. Despite its closure, the building has remained in fine condition for well over one hundred years; architectural elements such as the double-hung windows and the ornate six-panel doors have survived with little damage. In recognition of the inn's place in American history and of its well-preserved historic architecture, the Pennsylvania House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1973. Today, the Pennsylvania House is operated as a history museum with a concentration on the National Road.
INN
InterNetNews is a Usenet news server package, originally released by Rich Salz in 1991, and presented at the Summer 1992 USENIX conference in San Antonio, Texas...
and tavern
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
in western Springfield
Springfield, Ohio
Springfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Clark County. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River, Buck Creek and Beaver Creek, approximately west of Columbus and northeast of Dayton. Springfield is home to Wittenberg...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Built circa 1822, this three-story
Storey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
brick Federal
Federal architecture
Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the United States between c. 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815. This style shares its name with its era, the Federal Period. The name Federal style is also used in association with furniture design...
structure lies along the original National Road
National Road
The National Road or Cumberland Road was the first major improved highway in the United States to be built by the federal government. Construction began heading west in 1811 at Cumberland, Maryland, on the Potomac River. It crossed the Allegheny Mountains and southwestern Pennsylvania, reaching...
and near the old road that connects Springfield with Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
.
In the early years of the nineteenth century, the National and Dayton-Springfield Roads were major transportation arteries for those bound for the West and for Cincinnati respectively. Inns such as the Pennsylvania House were instrumental in facilitating travel for the many would-be settlers and merchants headed for the western frontier and for all sorts of travellers proceeding southwest. Before the coming of the railroads, the Pennsylvania House provided beds and food for commoners and famous individuals alike. According to local lore, among the inn's guests were such individuals as Henry Clay
Henry Clay
Henry Clay, Sr. , was a lawyer, politician and skilled orator who represented Kentucky separately in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives...
, Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
, Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
, and James K. Polk
James K. Polk
James Knox Polk was the 11th President of the United States . Polk was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He later lived in and represented Tennessee. A Democrat, Polk served as the 17th Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 12th Governor of Tennessee...
. The inn's owners typically lived on the premises; among the various owners were the family of Isaac Kaufmann Funk
Isaac Kaufmann Funk
Isaac Kaufmann Funk was an American Lutheran minister, editor, lexicographer, publisher, and spelling reformer. He was the co-founder of Funk & Wagnalls Company, the father of author Wilfred J. Funk, and the grandfather of author Peter Funk...
, founder of Funk and Wagnalls
Funk and Wagnalls
Funk & Wagnalls was an American publisher known for its reference works, including A Standard Dictionary of the English Language , and the Funk & Wagnalls Standard Encyclopedia Funk & Wagnalls was an American publisher known for its reference works, including A Standard Dictionary of the English...
.
After more than twenty years of prosperity, the inn's traffic shrank after railroads reached Springfield in 1846. By the end of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, travellers on the National Road were so rare that the Pennsylvania House saw very little traffic indeed, and it closed in 1869. Despite its closure, the building has remained in fine condition for well over one hundred years; architectural elements such as the double-hung windows and the ornate six-panel doors have survived with little damage. In recognition of the inn's place in American history and of its well-preserved historic architecture, the Pennsylvania House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1973. Today, the Pennsylvania House is operated as a history museum with a concentration on the National Road.