The McConnell House (114 Lincoln Way) was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Text below was adapted from a copy of the original nomination document. [1]
Description
The McConnell House is a four-bay, 2 1/2 story bank log house of the late 18th Century. The main floor entrance story is raised on a stone foundation, a full story high on the south facade. Originally an open wooden porch supported by three square stone piers provided entrance to the first floor level and a covered entrance to the basement. Recent alteration has removed the porch and walled in the two western stone posts with stone and removed the eastern most post. The building is constructed of yellow pine logs with dove-tailed corners, stone and cement chinked, but originally mud and stone. The roofing is asbestos shingles. Originally cedar shingles were used and they still remain under the present roof. The pent eave is probably original to the building.
The floorplan is "L" shaped with the 18th Century section, 27' x 24 1/2', to the south. The rear wing is 12' wide, continuing to the western wall of the older section and 25' long to the north. On examination, the original north wall construction is visible, identifying the older log section as a rectangle, with hallway and stair on the west wall and two rooms opening onto hallway to the east. The rear addition cannot be dated with certainty but probably predates a second addition (much altered) to the east which still has the datestone of 1834. The rear addition added two rooms, the one opening into the other.
The first floor interior has much of the original wood detailing. There are two fireplaces on the east wall servicing the south and north rooms. The fireplaces form a single unit joined at the short end. The second floor has been altered in the 19th and 20th Centuries, except for the flooring of the northeast room which is original (late 18th century) and of wide yellow pine.
Significance
The city of McConnellsburg is situated on the tract of land granted to Daniel McConnell and William McConnell, by warrant dated 1762, although they had settled in the region by 1750. William sold his share to his brother Daniel, who kept a tavern (the extant building) and who also laid out the city in 1786. Between the warrant date of 1762 and the laying out of the town, 1786 would be appropriate to date the McConnell House (tavern), as there is no specific information to date the structure precisely. By the direct tax of 1798, there are two McConnell houses, one of brick and the tavern building. There is no doubt then that the log house is the earlier and of an 18th Century date. The McConnell House marks the one of the earliest settlements of the area; the residence of the town's founder; while also offering us an excellent example of cut log house construction. Although somewhat altered, the original character and craftsmanship of log construction is still visible. The unique solution to adapting the log house to the slope of the hill results architecturally in an exceptional central Pennsylvania log residence and tavern of the late 18th Century - one with added value to McConnellsburg because the original occupant was Daniel McConnell.
References
Story of Sesquicentennial, 1936 McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania.
History of Bedford, Somerset and Fulton Counties, Chicago: Waterman, Watkins & Co., 1884.
U.S. Direct Tax of 1798, roll 20, vol. 646.
Nearby Neighborhoods
Street Names
Lincoln Way West