Petersburg Toll House

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The town of Addison is located along US 40 in Somerset County.  Most of the town sits along an old stretch of US 40/National Road that runs south of the current Route 40.  Within Addison sits the Petersburg Toll House, an original toll house built in the 1830s for toll collection along the National Road.

Built in 1835, the Petersburg Toll House was used to collect tolls from all travelers and their load along this historic highway.  That year the United State Congress transferred the maintenance of the National Road, whose original route was completed in 1818, from the federal government to the states.  The states in order to raise funds for the repair and upkeep of the road instituted tolls.  In Pennsylvania, six toll houses were built.  Of the six, Petersburg and the Searights Toll House (to the west of Uniontown) are the only two toll houses still standing.  A third, the LaValle Toll House, is located in Maryland. The toll keeper lived at the toll house rent free and was paid an annual salary.

Rates of Toll at the Petersburg Toll House
The toll house would remain in operation until 1906.  It would sit empty for another four decades until the state donated the building to the Great Crossings Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.  The Chapter took control of the Petersburg Toll House in 1949.  Over the last seven decades the GCC has led many volunteer groups in preserving the structure.  The toll house is built from native stone and would be added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.


The Toll House is open for public tours.  However, they are by appointment only.
All photos taken by post author - December 24, 2009.

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