Doubletree Farm
Established in 1876
Doubletree Farm sits on land originally granted in the 1700s to Roger John Hart as part of a large tract spanning what is now Loyalhanna and Salem Townships in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. In the years that followed, a portion of this tract was settled by the McBride family, one of the area's early founding families. They established a working farmstead on this land, which would later become part of Doubletree Farm. The original McBride farmhouse and barn now rest beneath the waters of Loyalhanna Lake, submerged when the area was flooded for the reservoir. Over time, the farmland was divided into two separate properties—one developed by the Fennell family and the other by descendants of the Hart family. In 1876, the Fennell family formally established the farmstead known today as Doubletree Farm. Through marriage, the property later passed into the Bash family. Eventually, ownership transferred to a non-local family before being purchased in 1983 by Girard and Eleanor Ent. Girard and Eleanor named the property Doubletree Farm in honor of a unique cluster of Sassafras trees that had sprouted together and grown as one—a symbol of unity and resilience. Eleanor also drew inspiration from the term doubletree, the wooden bar used to harness a team of horses, which she felt poetically represented the partnership between her and her husband as they lovingly restored the long-neglected farmstead. |
|
|
Concord School and Carriage House
Event and Historical Center
The Concord School of 1848, located in Loyalhanna Township, is an authentically restored one-room schoolhouse that served local families from 1848 to 1953. After decades of abandonment, it was lovingly restored by Girard and Eleanor Ent in the 1980s, preserving original furnishings, records, and artifacts. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the site includes the Concord Carriage House—built in 2018 to showcase a unique collection of horse-drawn vehicles and rural heritage artifacts. Operated by a nonprofit 501(c)(3), the school and carriage house host educational tours, private events, and programs that celebrate early American education, craftsmanship, and faith-based community values. |