Lowrie / Shaw House
Built by Butler’s only United States senator, Walter Lowrie, in 1828, this is the last remaining house of its type in the Butler area. A listing on the National Register of Historic Places has recognized its historical and architectural significance.
The house and its furnishings were bequeathed to the Society in 1986, by Isabelle Shaw, a descendent of the Sullivan family, owners of the house since 1839.
Major restoration projects have been completed, both structural and decorative. Furnishings have been returned to their appropriate rooms, the original Wilton wall-to-wall carpet has been recreated, and the house has been returned to its splendor of the late 19th century.
The Lowrie/Shaw House is located on West Diamond Street, directly behind the Butler County Courthouse, in Butler. The offices of the Butler County Historical Society are now housed in this museum.
Cooper Cabin Pioneer Homestead
Built by the Cooper family circa 1810, the cabin was an original county homestead. It was enlarged after the Civil War and family descendants remained in the cabin until 1963. In 1976, the cabin and grounds were bequeathed to the Society.
The cabin is furnished with family heirlooms and memorabilia as well as other period pieces. Outbuildings include a spinning house and a springhouse. There is also an extensive herb garden graciously graciously maintained every year by the Herbal Thymes Garden Club of Saxonburg.
Cooper Cabin is open to the public for tours and special programs on scheduled Sundays in May, June, July, and August. Click here to see the 2009 schedule of events! Call to make special arrangements for motor coach tours and club outings.
Special events include the Annual Cider and Sauerkraut Festival.
The cabin is located on Cooper Road near Cabot, just off Route 356, approximately 9 miles south of Butler.
The Little Red Schoolhouse
The Little Red School House was constructed in 1838, and was the first public school built in Butler as a direct result of the Public School Act of 1836. It was used as a classroom until 1874, when a larger facility was built. The building was then used as an office, Butler’s first public library, a meeting room, and a center for the Red Cross during World War II.
In 1966, the Butler School District permitted the Society to use the building as a museum, and it continued in that use until 1991, when it closed due to structural deterioration. The school district deeded the building to the Society in 1993, and a restoration project began to return the building to its original one-room school condition.
The site is now a living history museum, which recreates the one-room school experience for school classes.
The school house is located at 200 East Jefferson Street, in Butler, directly behind the current Butler Junior High School. Group tours are provided by special arrangement.
Please call ahead for tour hours and admission fees at 724-283-8116.
