Ligonier Valley Historical Society’s Mission
preserve the heritage and history of the Ligonier Valley for present and future generations.
In 1964, Ligonier Valley Historical Society was formed as a nonprofit organization to bring together those people interested in local history. The Society’s major function, both then and now, is to discover and collect any material and oral histories, which help establish or illustrate the history of the area, its exploration, settlement, development, and activities in peacetime and in wartime.
In 1966, the Ligonier Valley Historical Society accepted a gift from the Richard King Mellon Foundation of the Compass Inn, a former important stagecoach hostelry founded in 1799, with the intention of acquiring funds to restore and maintain the edifice and to eventually become a museum providing a walk into the past for thousands of visitors each year.
In 1972, under the leadership of Mrs. Constance Mellon Burrell and Mrs. Louise "Corky" Barnhart, Compass Inn Museum opened to the public. Since then the site has expanded to include an authentically reconstructed and functioning cookhouse and blacksmith shop, both located on their original sites, a carpenter shop, and a barn that houses an 1830 style stagecoach, a Conestoga wagon, and a Studebaker wagon. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Ligonier Valley Historical Society is proud and pleased to say Compass Inn Museum is of historical significance for the region, the state, and the nation.
In addition to operating the Compass Inn Museum, the Ligonier Valley Historical Society maintains local abandoned historic cemeteries where veterans of the Revolutionary and Civil wars are buried, and it preserves Laurel Hill Iron Furnace located in New Florence that dates back to 1848, which is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Along with these properties, the Historical Society has established a record and document archive room, which houses historic papers, photographs, and other physical artifacts that record and demonstrate the Ligonier Valley's history. There is a historical library and oral history collection in the society’s Hall House headquarters building.
Our Vision
Be recognized as a significant historical, educational, research, and tourism institution in the region.
Achieve the highest standards of excellence in the interpretation of life during the 18th and 19th century in rural America through the preservation and operation of Compass Inn Museum.
Expand the discovery, collection, research, and interpretation of the material culture that establishes or illustrates the exploration, settlement, development, and general history of the Ligonier Valley area.
Increase the development and delivery of innovative, engaging, relevant, content-rich public programs, exhibits, and organizational ventures.
Be an anchor in the community and be engaged in its evolving character.
Enhance the lives of those with whom we work and live. Offer a compelling reason to live in and to visit the Ligonier Valley.
Core Values
LVHS strives to conduct itself according to the following fundamental values that are at the heart of who we are:
LVHS promises to accomplish its mission and to operate consistent with its values.
LVHS is a good steward of its resources held in public trust.
LVHS operates in a fiscally responsible manner that promotes its long-term sustainability.
LVHS demonstrates consistently high-quality interpretive programs and activities.
Find out about our organization,
mission, and preservation of Ligonier Valley’s rich history.
Saddle up. Rein in your horses. Follow your compass. Journey to Compass Inn Museum for a unique tour of our 19th-Century stagecoach stop.
Upcoming events held by Ligonier Valley Historcial Society and Compass Inn Museum.
