| December 23,
1785 |
Land which was to become Friendship
Hill was warranted to Nicholas Blake by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. |
| May 27, 1786 |
Title to the warrant was sold
by Nicholas Blake to Albert Gallatin. |
| 1789-1791 |
"Brick House" under construction. Gallatin moved into the unfinished
house in 1789 with his new bride, Sophia, who tragically died that
October. |
| 1798 |
"Frame House" addition constructed to make room for Gallatin's growing
family. Gallatin married Hannah Nicholson in 1793 and their first
child, James, was born in 1798. |
| 1823 |
"Stone House" addition completed by Albert Rolaz in preparation
for Gallatin's return from Paris. A year later the "Stone Kitchen"
was constructed as the final addition during Gallatin's ownership.
|
| May 27-28,
1825 |
Throngs of people flocked to
Friendship Hill to see General LaFayette, who came to visit at Gallatin's
invitation. |
| May 26, 1832
|
Gallatin sold Friendship Hill
to Albin Mellier, Jr., another immigrant, who engaged in a number
of speculative ventures around New Geneva. |
| 1841 |
Friendship Hill visited by Sherman Day, a compiler of county histories,
whose sketch is the earliest known illustration of the main house.
|
| March 15,
1843 |
Friendship Hill sold at sheriff's
sale to Charles and Frederick Tennig, Mellier's creditors. |
| Sept. 27,
1858 |
Friendship Hill conveyed by Tennig's
to Mellier's heirs (Amadee Adelaide and Marie Mellier). |
| July 8, 1859
|
Friendship Hill sold by Mellier's
heirs to John Littleton Dawson, local congressman, who later became
noted for his sponsorship of the earliest version of what became
the Homestead Act of 1863. 
The house and grounds underwent considerable refurbishment and became
one of the finest estates in Fayette County. |
| December 19,
1898 |
Friendship Hill transferred from
Dawson's heirs to Charles E. Speer, prominent Pittsburgh banker
and financier who was married to Dawson's daughter, Sarah. |
| January 7,
1910 |
Speer's wife sold Friendship
Hill to Josiah Van Kirk Thompson, a prominent Fayette County coal
baron and banker, who used the place as his country estate. |
| 1927 |
Concerned local citizens organized
the original Friendship Hill Association to restore the privately
owned house and open it to the public. During the depression years
little was done. However, by 1937 tours were begun in cooperation
with the owners, continuing until the 1960's. |
| July 11, 1938
|
Ownership of Friendship Hill
was transferred to the Laradef Company owned by J.V. Thompson's
son, Andrew A. Thompson./TD>
|
| 1941 |
Evelyn Thompson, Andrew's daughter,
moved to the estate and established a dairy operation. |
| October 16,
1951 |
Sherwood and Evelyn (Thompson)
Martin acquired the title from the Laradef Company. The Martins
were active in the Chestnut Ridge Fox Hunting Association and built
a modern dairy complex. |
| Late 1950's |
A bill was introduced in the
Pennsylvania Legislature to establish Friendship Hill as a state
historic shrine, but the bill did not pass. |
| 1965 |
Friendship Hill was designated
a National Historic Landmark and was again opened to visitors. |
| April, 1978
|
Representative Austin J. Murphy
introduced a bill to establish Friendship Hill National Historic
Site. |
| Nov. 10, 1978 |
Public Law 95-625 authorized
Friendship Hill National Historic Site. |
| Summer, 1979 |
Arson fires extensively damaged
portions of the main house and destroyed the nearby gardener's cottage. |
| January, 1980 |
Title to the property was passed
to the National Park Service. |
| Spring, 1981 |
Contemporary Friendship Hill
Association formed to support and assist the National Park Service
in the preservation, restoration, and interpretation of Friendship
Hill. |
| 1980-1985 |
Various studies and planning
documents required for restoration were completed. These included
the Historic Resource Study, Historic Structure Report, Historic
Furnishings Report, Environmental Assessment, and General Management
Plan. |
| 1982-1987 |
Emergency repairs were made to
stabilize the house. A temporary visitor center was constructed
as well as a maintenance building. The park was also open to the
public on a part-time basis. |
| 1987 |
Restoration began with increased
funding levels as Friendship Hill became a priority for the America's
Industrial Heritage Project with a 3 year $6 million restoration
effort. |
| 1987-1992 |
House restoration went into high
gear as well as the construction of a ranger residence. Plans for
a multimedia exhibit system and wayside exhibits were implemented
by the Harper's Ferry Design Center, and park grounds were developed. |
| Oct. 31, and
Nov. 1, 1992 |
A grand opening celebration
was held for the completely restored Gallatin House. |
