Friendship Hill National Historic Site, near Point Marion, Pennsylvania, consists of the former country estate of American statesman and diplomat Albert Gallatin. Gallatin served as United States secretary of the treasury from 1801 to 1814. He later served as United States minister to France and the United Kingdom. As a scholar of Native American languages, Gallatin founded the American Ethnological Society in 1842. His conscientious study methods gained him worldwide recognition.
Gallatin purchased Friendship Hill in 1786 and began building a house there in 1789. During Gallatin’s ownership, the house consisted of three main sections built at different times. The oldest section, known as the Brick House, is a modest frontier home built in the Federal style of architecture. Gallatin added the Frame House, the second-oldest section, in 1798 to accommodate his growing family. In 1823, builders completed the Stone House, the third section of the Gallatin home. It was the most elaborate section, with French wallpapers, marble fireplaces, carpeting, and cut-glass chandeliers. The Marquis de Lafayette, a French soldier and statesman who had fought for American independence, stayed at the Stone House in 1825. Late that year, the Gallatin family moved away from Friendship Hill. Some family members found the estate too distant from the social pleasures to which they were accustomed. Gallatin sold the estate in 1832.
Later owners added the State Dining Room wing, the South Bedroom wing, and servants’ quarters. Today, these additions contain an auditorium, offices, and storage space.
Congress authorized the establishment of Friendship Hill National Historic Site in 1978, and the National Park Service acquired the property in 1980. In 1979, fire destroyed portions of the house. During the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, the Park Service and the Friendship Hill Association restored the damaged house.
Visitors to the site can tour the Gallatin home. Exhibits highlight Gallatin’s life and accomplishments. In addition, visitors can hike 10 miles (16 kilometers) of nature trails on the site’s approximately 675 acres (273 hectares).
