Latrobe Presbyterian Church - A Hometown Beginning

Stop on Mister Rogers, a free self-guided tour.

Fred Rogers was born in Latrobe on March 20, 1928, and this church on Main Street was part of his life from the start. He was baptized here, and as a boy he sang in the children's choir.

It is easy to draw a line from this building to the work that followed. Music filled his childhood, and he later wrote the songs for his own program. Faith stayed central too, leading him to the seminary you saw in Pittsburgh and to a ministry he carried out through a television camera.

Latrobe in his childhood was a busy industrial town, and his family was prominent in local business. Walk a little of Main Street to get a feel for the place he called home. His birthplace and childhood houses nearby are private homes, so this church and the park ahead are the best places to connect with his early years.

Getting here: Drive about 2 miles north from Saint Vincent College into downtown Latrobe. The church is at 428 Main Street.

Did you know?: Rogers was a gifted musician from childhood. He studied music composition in college before television ever entered his plans.

Photo op: Step across Main Street to fit the full front of the church in your frame.

For kids: He sang in a choir here when he was about their age. What song would they choose to sing for a friend?

Hours and cost: Active church. View from outside unless it is open for services or events.