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Open for visitors Mid May through Mid September Email for more information: lahall@qcol.net |
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Open for visitors Mid May through Mid September Email for more information: lahall@qcol.net |
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| Great Crossings Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution was established for the purpose of preserving and restoring the Toll House in January 19, 1909. The only source of money is from donations each year. Much of this information was collected from various sources. We have documented as much as possible and hope our sources were correct. This information has been compiled by members of the Great Crossings Chapter. |
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As we drive over our country now on the highway system unequaled in the world it is hard to realize Congress in 1806 began a debate lasting 4 decades as to the constitutionality and expenditure for a road only 800 miles long. But the road was built and opened in 1818, maintained free until ownership passed to the States through which it passed in 1831-34. Pennsylvania erected 6 toll houses in preparation of monies to maintain the road as did other States on its course-herein lies our tale of Petersburg Toll House. 1818 Great Crossings Bridge built, Federal Road build & opened |
 The Pennsylvania toll houses were:#1 Gate located at the east end of Petersburg (now Addison) Somerset County. Cost to build: $1,530.00. #2 Gate near Mt. Washington Tavern (1/4 mile west of Fort Necessity) #3 Gate near Searight’s west of Uniontown #4 Gate near Bealsville #5 Gate near Washington #6 Gate near West Alexander Only two remain today, #1 Gate, Petersburg (Addison), it is the only hand-cut native stone building and remains unique in that it is essentially the same condition as when the great mass of immigration passed by-headed for a possible better life with their possessions. |
 The Tolls
Sheep & Hogs-6 cents each score(20) Cattle-12 cents Horse & Rider-4 cents Sled Drawn by 1 Horse - 3 cents Oxen(pair)-3 cents Dearborn, Sulk, Chair or Chaise with 1 Horse-6 cents Additional Horses-3 cents Chariot, Coach, Coaches, Stage Phaeton or Chaise with 2 Horses and 4 Wheels-12 cents Carts & Wagons, Wheels 3" not exceeding 8" Breadth-4 cents plus Each Horse Drawing the Vehicle-2 cents Wagons Over 8" Wheels were FREE Refusal to Pay Toll-$3.00 FINE It appears the wider the rims of the wheels were, the cheaper the toll, since lastly all carts and wagons whose wheels exceeding 8" in breadth went merrily by "FREE." The situation here appears to be the wider rims acted on the road surface much as a ‘roller’ but it is puzzling to reason with wider rims the loads must have been heavier and would have made deeper ruts-who knows? No mention is made of a person walking-apparently there was no toll-many walked, having no money to go otherwise. There were those who would leave the main toll road and take a side road to get around a toll house at certain places from whence comes the expression today, "He’s a piker!" meaning a person of doubtful character-one shirking his or her duty. |
Thomas Grier: Toll Keeper May 1, 1843 to Dec. 31, 1844. Collected $4,466.42 and his salary was $333.33. Daniel Gibson David Harzell: 1850 census has him a gate keeper, age 42, son of Nicholas and Dorcas(Settle) Hartzell. Wife: Angelina, age 39. 6 Children: Julian K., age 17; Mary S., age 16; Missoura E., age 13; Caleb F., age 11; Westly J., age 2; Cass, age 1. Cass’s grandaughter said Cass was born in the Toll House in 1849. Tom Havener: (Thomas Jefferson Havenger) grandfather of Mary Ward, married to Eliza Griffith Dec. 2, 1882. Both buried in Addison Cemetery. 3 Children: Clara, Susie, Robert Griffith A.J. Andrew Jackson(Jack) Hileman: from a newspaper item, May 1, 1948, his daughters were all born at the toll house. Married in Addison 9-26-1875 to Samantha Bird, daughter of Henry & Mary (Davis) Bird. 5 Children: Gilbert Roscoe, Mrs. A.R. Wiseman of Somerset, Miss Emma Eliza of Somerset, Miss Mary Estelle (Maude) of Somerset, Mrs. Charles Shultz of Chauntaugua, NY. Info from Liane Kilgour–A.J. a/o Abram Hileman & Eliza Turney Hileman. At the same time Jack was a school teacher for 24 years. 1885 appointed a clerk for the Co. Commisioners, reappointed in 1888, served 6 years. 1890 elected Tegister of Recorder for Somerset (moved to Somerset 1885). Leah(Babe) only child born in Toll House. Samantha collected the toll. Jacob Lobb Frank Nicklow Samuel Slabaugh Nathan Spear Mathew Spears: 1870 census shows him as Gate Keeper, age 51, with Mathew was Sarah, age 23 and Allen, age 20. Norman Whalen Howard Wright: Married to Jenny Miller. 10 Children: Nelson, Julia, Ella, May, Mary Guy, Rebecca, Orvill, Frank, Joe, Helen. William Condon: Toll Keeper, 11-10-1840 to 11-19-1841, Collected $1,758.87, salary $200.00. |
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The
Petersburg Toll House History
Those who lived in the Toll
House