Our History

The Gideon Ball House on East Sixth Street is across the street from the H.O. Hirt Building at ERIE’s Home Office and was acquired and restored by ERIE in 1992. It’s an Italianate-style mansion built in 1862 for the Honorable Gideon J. Ball, who was active in Whig politics. In addition to several local public offices, Ball served as state treasurer of Pennsylvania.

Before it was restored for office workspace, the Erie Armory was home to the Pennsylvania National Guard 112th Infantry Regiment. For 90 years, the men and women of the regiment came to the Armory for training, deployment and to reunite with friends and family following their return home.

The dedication of the 95-year-old building, which is about three blocks east of the Home Office on East Sixth Street, included a historical marker commemorating the Pennsylvania National Guard 112^th Infantry Regiment.

The 112th Infantry Regiment is part of the famed 28th Division, the oldest continuous infantry division in the U.S. Army. The 112th was originally known as the Pennsylvania 16th and can be traced back to the American Civil War. The 112th served in the Spanish-American War, World War I and Iraq, and earned Presidential Unit Citations in World War II and Korea.  

The 112th used the Armory until July 2007 and then relocated to the then newly constructed Pennsylvania National Guard Readiness Center near Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania.

The Armory was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. ERIE’s restoration of the 24,000-square-foot building followed the requirements from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission for Historical Landmarks.

The Boston Store Livery and Garage on French Street across the street from one of ERIE’s parking ramps was acquired and restored by ERIE in 1986. It was built in 1906 and from 1916 to 1961 it was the livery and later garage for the delivery vehicles of Erie’s iconic Boston Store. It’s the only livery building left from that once important trade on lower French Street. It was donated by ERIE to the Experience Children’s Museum, which is adjacent to the Erie Art Museum.

Two historic houses, Judah Colt and Von Buseck, were dismantled from their original locations and relocated to the corner of East 5th and German Streets in Erie in 2018.

The Judah Colt House, built in 1820, was originally located at the southwest corner of 4th and French Streets. The federal style house was home to Judah Colt, one of Erie County’s earliest citizens and the first Burgess of Erie. In 1825, Major General Marquis de Lafayette, a Revolutionary War hero, visited the home during his “Farewell Tour” of the 24 states that were then in the U.S. The house later became home to Judah Colt’s nephew Thomas Colt, who was the last burgess of Erie and the first official mayor of Erie in 1851. In 1882, the home was cut in half and moved to East Front Street to make room for the construction of Erie Steam Bakery, which is currently known as Lafayette Place and owned by Erie Insurance.

The Von Buseck House, built in 1815, was located on the south side of West 38th Street between Asbury and Millfair Roads in Erie. The saltbox farmhouse resided on land owned by one of Erie County’s earliest immigrant settlers John Nicholson. It was remarkably the home for generations of the Von Buseck family for 150 years. Both historic houses were purchased, restored and converted by ERIE into upscale apartment buildings. Each house has two apartments. Residing behind the historic homes are two carriage houses with two additional apartments and garages.

Erie Insurance purchased the Firehouse, located at 414 French Street, in Erie, Pennsylvania, in November 2015. After an extensive renovation, the two-story building reopened in July 2017 as an employee event center for meetings and conferences.

The Constable Brothers Construction Company built the 13,500-square-foot building in 1907-1908 at the cost of $14,889. Firehouse No. 1 had a long history of fire protection for its ward. The Erie Fire Department stopped using the station in 1979, and new owners converted the building into a restaurant. 

The Pufferbelly Restaurant opened for business in July 1984, and Erie Insurance Chairman Tom Hagen likes to tell the story of being the restaurant’s first customer. The restaurant was a staple in Erie’s downtown for over 30 years until it closed on September 30, 2015.

The Firehouse has meeting space on both floors to accommodate about 120 people. Artwork by regional artists is on display inside the modernized facility. Among the pieces from Erie Insurance’s art collection is a restored mural by artist William de Leftwich Dodge that is more than 100 years old.

This is a special place where ERIE’s rich history is captured and displayed. Employees and agents can learn how an Erie-based start-up business in 1925 became a FORTUNE® 500 company and a recognized leader in the insurance industry.

The center is located in the historic C.F. Adams Building, which was Erie Insurance’s second office from 1938 to 1956. The Heritage Center chronicles the story of Erie Insurance and its humble beginnings. It features nine galleries with a variety of images and objects from ERIE’s extensive archives, such as the building’s restored Grueby Tile fireplace, and founder H.O. Hirt’s recreated pine-paneled office, along with his 1964 “Silver Sand” Lincoln Continental.

Go back in time and take the Heritage Center virtual tour.