As much as southwestern Pennsylvania is focused on the future, with an economy built on natural gas, technology and health care, it cannot lose appreciation for its past. That’s why the restoration and reopening of the Century Inn in North Bethlehem, Washington County, is cause for joy.

Opened in the 18th century along Route 40, better known as the National Road, the inn hosted the likes of Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay and the Marquis de Lafayette. Its stone facade and walls, wood floors, antique furniture, early American menu options and original Whiskey Rebellion flag offered a trip back in time for visitors in more recent generations, and its peaceful setting — in the bucolic village of Scenery Hill — has been the backdrop for countless weddings and other celebrations.

While the building went up in smoke in August 2015, its importance did not. Nor did the resolve of the inn’s longtime owner, Megin Harrington, waver. She hired Margittai Architects of the South Side, experienced in adaptive reuse, and began rebuilding with insurance proceeds and other money she scraped together. The project involved meticulous efforts to replicate the building’s historic appearance and construction, incorporating materials salvaged from the original structure when possible, and scouring other cities for antiques and period artwork to replace what was lost in the fire. (The Whiskey Rebellion flag was saved that night.)

Restoration of the inn preserved a valuable link with the past. Now, open once again, it has resumed its place as the heart of Scenery Hill — and as a place for weary travelers to stop along the National Road.

First Published: April 28, 2018, 4:00 a.m.