HistoricSiteMarkers
Early Republic

McMurtrie Mansion

Huntingdon, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania

Marker Inscription

David McMurtrie built this house in 1817. A pioneer family; leaders in local political and business affairs. Now houses the Historical Society and the Library of Huntingdon County.

Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission

The Story

David McMurtrie built this substantial house in 1817, when Huntingdon was still a young town on the Juniata. The McMurtries were a pioneer family who took the lead in local politics and business during the early republic. Fittingly, the mansion now shelters the Historical Society and the Library of Huntingdon County, keeping the community's memory under the same roof that once housed its founders.

Why it matters

It shows how early settler families shaped the civic and commercial life of frontier Pennsylvania towns, and how their homes later became keepers of local heritage.

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Related people

  • Β· David McMurtrie

Themes & tags

Westward ExpansionFrontier HistoryHome

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