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() is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States approximately 40 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.
The city population was 7,634 as of the 2000 census (9,265 in 1990). It is located near the Pennsylvania's scenic Chestnut Ridge. Latrobe was incorporated as a borough in 1854, and as a city in 1999.
Among its claims to fame, Latrobe is the home of the Latrobe Brewery (the original brewer of Rolling Rock beer), Saint Vincent College, and golfer Arnold Palmer. It was the childhood home of Fred Rogers, children's television personality. He was also buried there in
after his death in 2003. While it was believed for years that the first professional football game was played in Latrobe, the city refused induction into the Hall of Fame records. Latrobe is also home of the first banana split, invented in Latrobe by David Strickler in 1904. Latrobe is home to the training camp of the Pittsburgh Steelers American football team. Also, comedian Jackie Mason spent three years as a rabbi in Latrobe after his ordination.
In May 2006, Anheuser-Busch purchased the Rolling Rock brands, but not the brewery. In June 2006, City Brewing Company from LaCrosse, Wisconsin entered into negotiations to buy the brewery. In September 2006, City Brewing Company agreed to purchase the brewery, and they licensed it to the Boston Beer Company in April 2007 as a satellite brewery to produce Samuel Adams beers. The brewery employs approximately two hundred workers locally. The current Mayor is Tom Marflak.
In 1852, Oliver Barnes (a civil engineer for the Pennsylvania Railroad) laid out the plans for the community that was incorporated in 1854 as the Borough of Latrobe. Barnes named the town for his best friend and college classmate, Benjamin Latrobe, who was a civil engineer for the B&O Railroad. (His father, Benjamin Henry Latrobe, was the architect who rebuilt the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. after the War of 1812.)
Its location along the route of the Pennsylvania Railroad helped Latrobe develop into a significant industrial hub. Latrobe was also served by the Ligonier Valley Railroad from 1877 to 1952.
connected Latrobe to Derry, operating 1904 to 1932. Also,
began operations in 1900, connecting Latrobe to Kingston. That line was purchased by West Penn Railways, which eventually linked it with its network running through Youngstown, Pleasant Unity, and eventually to Greensburg and Uniontown. Service ceased in 1952.
Latrobe has three sites on the National Register of Historic Places within its city boundaries: