Somerset Borough - History and the Sweetness of Maple Syrup

Thirty miles north of Johnstown and 70 miles west of Pittsburgh, you will find Somerset Borough. Somerset is also the county seat of Somerset County, serving as a historic, almost 3 sq. mile hub, known for its high elevation
and rich agricultural industry.

The borough is conveniently located off the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and holds a central business district, parks, and the Uptown Somerset Historical District. The district is located near the geographic center of Somerset Borough and includes most of the county government buildings, with the courthouse as the centerpiece. The district reflects a variety of architectural styles from primarily the mid-nineteenth century to the early twentieth century.

As detailed on the borough’s website, somersetborough.com, “The progression from solidarity to flexibility - from
earth to sky - complements the location of the courthouse atop the Alleghenies and preserves an appropriate
atmosphere for judicial activity which rests in a firm Constitution and responds to the varying elements of
human circumstances. The architectural features - the grand staircase, the quietly dignified courtrooms, the
column porticoes and balustrades, and the domed tower - distinguish the material of the courthouse and combine
elegance with permanence, bringing life to the form.

Based on its historical, geographical, and architectural prominence, the Somerset County Courthouse is the first
site to be recorded on the Somerset County Register of Historic Sites. This landmark is also listed on the Pennsylvania Inventory of Historic Sites, and in 1980, it was named to the National Register of Historic Places.”

The main memorial plaza and wall of names at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, were
dedicated on September 10, 2011. The site, authorized by Congress in 2002, was inaugurated just before the 10th
anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks to honor the passengers and crew. The memorial is located approximately 15 miles east of Somerset.

Often called the “Land of Milk and Maple,” the area is renowned for its maple syrup production. The sweetest tree in Pennsylvania is the sugar maple, and its sap is used to make pure maple syrup. “Tapping” the trees consist of drilling a 7/16 in. hole about 1½ in. deep and inserting a plastic or steel spike. Maple syrup is made by boiling the thin sap of the sugar maple tree in large shallow pans over a very hot fire until most of the water in the sap has evaporated to syrup. As much as 40-45 gallons of sap are needed to produce one gallon of syrup. Warm sunny days and cold nights are ideal for sap flow. The maple season usually starts in the middle of February and may last 4 to 8 weeks, depending on weather conditions.

A borough steep in history, beautiful architecture and great people, Somerset Borough is indeed a place to visit.