welcome to
Latrobe, Pennsylvania
Banana splits, Arnold Palmer, and Mr. Rogers' real neighborhood
welcome to
Latrobe, Pennsylvania
A small town in the Laurel Highlands that gave the world the banana split, professional football, Arnold Palmer, Fred Rogers, and Rolling Rock beer.
See What Makes Latrobe Special
A quick look at the town we call home
1854
Founded
Westmoreland
County
~7,800
Population
1,020 ft
Elevation
15650
ZIP Code
2.3 sq mi
Area
Famous Firsts
Inventions and milestones that started right here
1904
Banana Split
David Strickler, a 23-year-old apprentice pharmacist at Tassel's Pharmacy on Ligonier Street, invented the banana split. Students from nearby Saint Vincent College made it an instant hit. In 2004, the National Ice Cream Retailers Association certified Latrobe as the official birthplace.
1895
Professional Football
On September 3, 1895, quarterback John Brallier accepted $10 and expenses to play for the Latrobe Athletic Association against the Jeannette Athletic Club — becoming the first football player to openly turn pro. Latrobe won 12–0. By 1897, Latrobe fielded the first entirely professional team for a full season.
1939
Rolling Rock Beer
The Latrobe Brewing Company was founded in 1939 and became one of the largest breweries in the United States as the maker of Rolling Rock, known for its distinctive green bottle and the mysterious "33" on every label.
Famous Residents
Two classmates who changed the world
Fred Rogers
1928–2003
Born at 705 Main Street in the home of his grandparents, Fred McFeely Rogers grew up in Latrobe and graduated from Latrobe High School in 1946, where he was yearbook editor and student council president. He went on to create Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, one of the longest-running programs in television history. He is buried at Unity Cemetery in Latrobe.
Arnold Palmer
1929–2016
Born just over a year after Fred Rogers, Arnold Palmer grew up in Latrobe where his father was the head greenskeeper and golf pro at Latrobe Country Club. He graduated from Latrobe High School in 1947 — one year behind Rogers — and went on to win 62 PGA Tour events and 7 major championships. The local airport and country club bear his name.
Timeline
Key moments in Latrobe's history
1846
Saint Vincent College, the first Benedictine college in the United States, is established just east of Latrobe.
1852
Pennsylvania Railroad engineer Oliver Barnes lays out the town plan, naming it for his friend Benjamin Henry Latrobe II, chief engineer of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.
1854
Latrobe is incorporated as a borough.
1895
The first openly professional football game is played on Latrobe's field. Stores close and mines declare a half-holiday for the occasion.
1904
David Strickler invents the banana split at Tassel's Pharmacy on Ligonier Street.
1928
Fred McFeely Rogers is born in Latrobe.
1929
Arnold Daniel Palmer is born in Latrobe.
1939
The Latrobe Brewing Company is founded, later becoming home to Rolling Rock beer.
1966
The Pittsburgh Steelers establish their summer training camp at Saint Vincent College — a tradition that continues to this day.
2004
Latrobe is officially certified as the birthplace of the banana split by the National Ice Cream Retailers Association.
Geography & Location
Nestled in the Laurel Highlands
Latrobe sits at the foothills of the Laurel Highlands in southwestern Pennsylvania, about 40 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. The borough lies near Chestnut Ridge with Loyalhanna Creek — a 50-mile tributary of the Kiskiminetas River — flowing through town.
At an elevation of 1,020 feet, the area experiences four distinct seasons with warm summers and snowy winters typical of western Pennsylvania. The surrounding landscape of rolling hills, farmland, and forested ridges defines the character of the region.
The surrounding area is home to Saint Vincent College, the Pittsburgh Steelers' summer training camp, and miles of trails and parks along the Loyalhanna Creek corridor.
Saint Vincent College
The first Benedictine college in the United States
Founded in 1846 by Boniface Wimmer, Saint Vincent is the first Benedictine monastery and college in the United States. The campus sits just east of the borough on 200 acres of rolling countryside and includes the Saint Vincent Archabbey, the largest Benedictine monastery in the Western Hemisphere.
Today Saint Vincent College enrolls roughly 1,600 students across more than 50 majors and is consistently ranked among the top regional universities in the North by U.S. News & World Report. The Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children's Media is housed on campus, carrying on the legacy of Latrobe's most famous son.
The campus is also home to the Saint Vincent Basilica, the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve, and — every summer — the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp.
Steelers Training Camp
Every summer since 1966, the Pittsburgh Steelers have held their training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. It's one of the longest-running training camp arrangements in the NFL and a beloved tradition that brings thousands of fans to town each July and August. Practices are free and open to the public.
Live in Latrobe
This site is your one-stop community portal — local news, events, businesses, city services, school updates, sports, and everything you need to know about life in Latrobe.