Did you know that the man credited with being the first person to visit the North Pole was born in Cresson, PA?
That’s right, Admiral Robert E. Peary was born near Cresson in 1856, and you can visit a monument to his achievements on the western outskirts of this Cambria County community.
Admiral Peary was a Naval officer and explorer who led several trips to the Arctic in the early 20th century. In April 1909, Peary claimed to have discovered the geographic North Pole.
As with many discoveries, this was later questioned in regards to whether he had actually reached the pole (and he certainly wasn’t the first as his assistant Matthew Henson scouted the spot the day before Peary visited it). Nevertheless, Peary was widely credited at the time with being the first to reach the North Pole as the leader of the expedition.
While Admiral Peary only lived in Cresson for a few years after his birth (moving to Maine when his father died), the town still wanted to honor their hometown hero. So, in 1937, the community dedicated a statue of him near his birthplace.
Today, Admiral Peary Park is a bit overlooked, but it’s still an intersting spot to check out when exploring this part of the Alleghenies.
The park is located on a triangular shaped piece of land along the aptly named Admiral Peary Highway. Parking, however, can be found in two small gravel areas along St. Joseph Street. These can be found at the following coordinates: 40.460417, -78.598250 and 40.461361, -78.599028.
[Click here for information on how to use the coordinates in this article to find your destination.]
It’s worth noting that large evergreen trees along St. Joseph Street somewhat block the monument from the road, so make sure to keep an eye out for the parking areas.
The parking areas are located at either end of a large stone semi-circle, with the statue of Admiral Peary sitting in the middle of the ellipse. The statue is more or less life size and depicts Peary as he looked in his famous self-portrait from 1909 (see the photo above), though some think he looks like Bigfoot.
It is made of bronze, though has weathered to a bluish patine similar to what you see at the Statue of Liberty. Alongside Peary, you’ll notice one of his sled dogs is depicted.
Below the statue, there is a small plaque that tells a bit of Peary’s story, and benches surround the statue of those looking for somewhere to sit for a minute.
Personally, I found it quite interesting that there isn’t more signage here telling the story of this local legend. In fact, aside from the small sign below the statue, the only other signage is a few sentences on two PA historic markers nearby.
Overall, there isn’t much to see at Admiral Peary Park in Cresson, and visits here are unlikely to last more than a few short minutes, even for those that are most interested.
Still, for those that love PA history, this is an interesting spot to visit, and definitely somewhere worth checking out if you’re exploring this part of Pennsylvania or passing through along Route 22.
Looking for more things to do in the area? Check out the abandoned Cresson Prison, the grave of Prince Gallitzin, and the Allegheny Portage National Historic Site.
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