The Lemon House and Engine House 6 are open for self-guided tours every day from 9 AM to 5 PM, except when closed on federal holidays.
Engine House 6 and the Lemon House are the park’s two main attractions. Both can be accessed from the Visitor Center, and they are right next to each other. The round trip walk is about .8 mile. Depart on the boardwalk behind the Visitor Center for an easy walk that goes slightly downhill. To avoid repeating yourself on the way back, take the gravel road near the Lemon House. If you are looking at the house, the road is directly behind you. This is slightly uphill, but no worse than the walk back up the boardwalk (it may even be easier). The road is short and comes out on the far end of the Visitor Center parking lot.
In the first year of the Allegheny Portage Railroad there was only a single track. Steam engines were completely responsible for raising and lowering the rail cars up and down the inclines. The single track also led to train conductors nearly getting into gun fights over who had the right of way when two rail cars met. Construction of a second track began almost immediately and was completed by 1835. This alleviated congestion, plus created a counter-balance system for raising and lowering rail cars up the inclines, which greatly improved the efficiency of the limited steam powered engines. Now, as one rail car was going down, another was coming up, and the weight of the descending car was used to help pull up the ascending car. In fact, if the car going down weighed more than the one coming up, the steam engine was disengaged and a water-based breaking system was engaged to slow the descent of the heavier car.
At this point you are probably wondering what this has to do with the Lemon House and other taverns that were built at the top of every incline. Remember, passengers were transported on the canal as well as cargo. If your car arrived and there was no car going in the opposite direction, you had to sit around a wait. That is the true definition of a “captive audience.” Even without an unexpected delay, stops at most inclines amounted to 10 to 20 minutes while the rail cars were unhitched from the incline railroad and re-hitched to the team of horses, or later, a steam locomotive, for transportation along the level area between inclines. Furthermore, transportation companies scheduled stops for meals along the way, which might give passengers an hour to relax at a tavern like the Lemon House. In the overall scheme of things, the real money makers were the ones who owned the taverns, serving food and drinks, including alcohol, to tourists and workers on their journeys across Pennsylvania.
The Lemon House is the only original building that exists from the time of the Allegheny Portage Railroad. It was built by Samuel Lemon around 1832 and used as his home and a tavern. No inventory records exist that tell what was in the Lemon House, so records from other taverns of the day were used as the basis for furnishing the house as it might have been in the 1840s. Most of the furniture is modern reproductions, and if not roped off, you are welcome to have a seat. Actual period pieces are roped off and are off-limits to the public.
Lemon owned a tavern in another nearby location, as well as a coal and lumber business. When he learned that the Allegheny Portage Railroad would be coming through the area, he built the house now standing at Incline 6. He died one of the richest men in the Allegheny Mountains.
The Lemon family lived on the upper level of the house and the tavern occupied the lower floor. Visitors are welcome to explore the dining room, a bar for the men only, and what was called a “fancy parlor room” where both men and women of “refinement” were allowed to have a meal or drink.
One room of the house is now a small museum that focuses on the history of the Lemon House, how it managed to survive while no other taverns did, and how it was restored by the National Park Service after purchasing the house in 1968. It had passed through several owners since being sold by Mrs. Mary Lemon in 1907. A few artifacts are on display that were found during the restoration process.
A thorough visit to the Lemon House, with time to read all of the information and listen to the Cell Phone Audio tour, takes about 30 minutes.
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Last updated on September 10, 2024