Latodami History
The property was owned by J. D. Brown, a Pittsburgh lawyer with dreams of owning a farm. Though J. D. Brown developed the property in the early 1900’s, he was a “gentleman farmer” and hired others to run the farm. The Brown family had their own sawmill and most of the wood used for the buildings on the property was harvested and milled from surrounding trees. The barn, built in 1914, was used primarily for milking cattle and storage of feed and equipment.
The Horning family, direct descendants of J. D. Brown, eventually named the Latodami farm after their four children:
- Orlando (LA)
- Antoinette (TO)
- Davia (DA)
- Michelle (MI)
The 250-acre property was acquired by Allegheny County in 1969 for the specific use of becoming a nature center. Since the county acquisition, most of the original outbuildings deteriorated and were removed by the county. Buildings removed included: a chicken house, pigsty, turkey pens, milk house, and horse stable.
Still present are the main house (subdivided into three apartments), garages and apartment, the foreman’s house (now the Naturalist office), the main barn, and smaller, storage barn. The Latodami barn has been converted into a large open-air room where groups can be accommodated, and local plant and animal displays are found.