Historic Eagle Hotel Preservation

The Eagle Hotel, built in 1826, was saved by the Fort LeBoeuf Historical Society from almost certain demolition in 1977, and was added to the National Registry of Historic Places shortly thereafter. The Hotel is easily one of the most recognizable historic structures in Erie County to the public and we plan to celebrate its’ bicentennial in 2026 through this preservation project to ensure the building survives for several generations to come. While the Hotel has been reconfigured for restaurant space on the 1st floor, the 2nd & 3rd floors are dedicated to museum exhibit space. In recent years we have reconfigured our exhibits to focus on several important periods in our town's history. The first & newest addition is the exhibit dedicated to telling the story of the Eagle Hotel's period as a stop on the Stagecoach route, an under appreciated story of Erie County. Other exhibits explore the 1848 visit of President Zachary Taylor, and the Story of General Strong Vincent during the American Civil War at the battle of Gettysburg. We have plans to create more exhibit space that will serve the public and allow us to tell more stories from the American Civil War, add a gift shop, and repair the 3rd floor ballroom which is currently closed to the public due to damage. With all the repairs to be made to the building, we will secure the building's long-term future allowing the organization to create more exhibits celebrating our town's rich heritage as we move into the process of telling the stories from the 20th century. This project is planned to be completed in several phases.