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The four homes featured in the third annual "Inside Ligonier Valley -- A Home Tour" on June 16 offer a unique look into the history of the area.

A 1920 home in the Arts and Crafts style located on Church Street in Ligonier Borough was lost in a poker game in 1941 for $1. The winner, a town funeral director, used funeral casket crates to panel a wall on the third floor.

"There's also a smaller home on the tour with ties to the Ligonier Valley Railroad," says Olga Herbert, executive director of the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor. Proceeds from the home tour benefit the Lincoln Highway group, the Ligonier Valley Historical Society, and the Ligonier Area Chamber of Commerce.

The small home began as a machine shop and blacksmith shop for the railroad. The courtyard bench is from the original blacksmith shop while a workbench inside the front door was purchased from the first Sears Roebuck catalog.

The third home on the tour provides a wonderful view overlooking the valley, Herbert says. A special element in the home, located off Route 259, is a built-in, custom cherry credenza in the living room. The wood for the credenza came from three cherry trees on the property. Shuttle buses will be available to take visitors to this home only.

"Every year, we try and have a 'wow' and I think the Oak Lodge in Stahlstown is our 'wow' house this year," says Mary Jo Culbertson, a committee member for the home tour.

Oak Lodge is situated on 800 acres and features a 6,500-square-foot main lodge. A separate building contains a swimming pool and greenhouse. Another building on the grounds has an office suite and guest suite on one floor. Another level to the structure has a chapel that can accommodate 125 people.

"The homeowners have a love for Native and Early American artifacts, which decorate the buildings," Herbert says. "There's also the Tally Ho Tavern, a tavern and mini dance hall. This also has a guest suite that includes a large copper tub that came from an Alaskan bordello."

In addition, Oak Lodge has its own smokehouse and sugar shack. A red barn can sleep 16 guests and has a 35-mile view from the deck. One-half of a log cabin, Penn Place, was originally located on the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg campus. William Penn's son lived at that site.

"On the morning of the home tour, the country market will be in full swing and later in the evening is the bluegrass festival in Waterford," Herbert says. "People can come and enjoy the entire day in Ligonier valley."

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