Freeport Area Historical Society

Armstrong History! Home

Mickey's Mill Open House

The mill will be open to the public on the fourth Saturday of the month, May through September, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

The Lindell House, built in 1840, is located on the corner of Washington & Buffalo Streets.

Guckenheimer Distillery Office Building

The last existing Building of the Guckenheimer Distillery, this office building was built in 1870 and is located on the corner of 6th & Market Streets.

The Old Central Hotel, located on the corner of, 4th & Market(circa: 1870-1880), is currently being renovated and will open as a small Resturant with Antiques and Meeting Room upstairs. Owner is planning to open in late 2007.

Consistent with its mission statement, the Freeport Area Historical Society purchased the Valley Mills and adjacent property in 1998. The purpose is to rehabilitate the building into an operational mill; creating an atmosphere similar to that of the mid 1900s. Once completed, the restored mill will serve as a museum and learning center that will provide an educational resource for the young and the young at heart alike.

The mill can be toured by appointment or during an Open House. Open Houses are held every fourth Saturday of the month during the Summer. Contact us for more details.

For more information on Valley Mills, please visit the Official FAHS Website.

Our Mission

The primary mission of the Society shall be: to preserve, interpret and promote the cultural and industrial heritage of Freeport Borough, Buffalo Township, and South Buffalo Township.

The Society is committed to accomplishing this mission through the following objectives:

Acquiring, preserving, and professionally exhibiting historically relevant materials which illustrate the history of the region.
Developing and facilitating cooperative partnerships among organizations with a similar mission
Providing educational and outreach opportunities for the public
Serving as a catalyst for the private and public preservation, rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of historic sites

Freeport

Freeport was derived from Depreciation Lands - lands designated as payment to Revolutionary War Soldiers for their services. This land, two tracts named Union and Friendship, was conveyed to William and David Todd. In 1796, the Todds laid out the town consisting of Water St. along the river and Market St. 135 lots were designated in what was known as Todd's Town.

By 1805, eight log cabins were located on Water St. Todd's Island was located in the Allegheny River. The water in the river divided itself around the island, and water from Buffalo Creek emptied into the river and formed an eddy in front of the town. This made an ideal location to tie up river craft. David Todd declared, "No dockage fee will ever be charged to tie up a boat, raft or barge." Thus, it became a free port, and the town became known as Freeport. Freeport Borough was incorporated in 1833.