Sep 5, 2025 By Paul Paterra 3 min read

The Bradford House Museum is turning 60, and its historical association is marking the occasion with a celebration from 2 to 5 p.m. Sept. 14.

Guided tours of the museum at 175 S. Main St. in Washington will take place throughout the afternoon, as well as tours at the Whiskey Rebellion Education & Visitor Center and the Meeting House, across Main. There also will be cooking demonstrations in the kitchen cabin.

Tracie Liberatore, executive director of the Bradford House Historical Association, said the museum opened July 13, 1965. But the 60th anniversary celebration was pushed to September since the July date was near the city’s Whiskey Rebellion Festival.

“We opted to celebrate in the fall instead of the actual date, because it’s an all-year celebration,” she said. “We are having a free community event and utilizing all three of our spaces. The house will be full of our docents who are educated in our house. It will be an open house, so you can come and go as you wish.”

The Sept. 14 celebration also will include live music with the Wayward Companions, a historical music ensemble, performing in the garden at 2 and 4 p.m. and expert fiddling by Alex Brown at the Meeting House.

The Meeting House also will host George Dobich and his art exhibit centered around Washington County.

“He has quite the art collection,” Liberatore said.

Also scheduled will be a lively, family-friendly musical “argument” between Alexander Hamilton and a beleaguered farmer.

Complimentary refreshments will be served, and a commemorative gift will be available while supplies last.

The museum was the home of Washington attorney David Bradford, a leader of the Whiskey Rebellion. He built the house – the first stone house on South Main Street – in 1788. By frontier standards, it ranked as a mansion.

He and his family lived in the home for just six years, until 1794, when he fled following the Whiskey Rebellion, an insurrection that was caused in part, by the lack of federal courts, large numbers of absentee landlords, conflicts with American Indians, and most importantly, the high excise tax on whiskey

President George Washington ordered 13,000 troops to the Washington area as the first test of the power of the new government. Suspected rebels were arrested and because of that fear, Bradford fled to Spanish West Florida (now Louisiana). Eventually, Bradford was pardoned by President John Adams.

The house actually was close to demolition. In the 1940s, it became an eyesore, dirty and decayed, with its stone walls crumbling. Demolition seemed to be the most likely course of action, but some citizens felt that would destroy the city’s most historical artifact.

In 1959, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission assumed control of the house and supervised a complete restoration. The Bradford House was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1983, the only historical landmark on Main Street.

In 2024, the Bradford House Museum welcomed more than 12,000 visitors. Liberatore, who has been the executive director for 14 years, said 92% of the people who visit the museum live outside of Washington.

“It means a lot for tourism and the businesses and the amount of revenue it generates,” Liberatore said. “Those 12,000 visitors are not just coming to see us. They’re shopping, they’re eating, they’re staying overnight at the local hotels. The economics of it are tremendous. We’re always a place for families to bring their out-of-town guests. We’re really proud of that. Our goal is national recognition. We want people to know what the Bradford House is.”‘

The open house is free, with no registration required. However, RSVPs are encouraged and may be sent to Liberatore at info@bradfordhouse.org.