In 1940, the Pennsylvania Turnpike opened between Irwin, PA (in Westmoreland County outside Pittsburgh) and Carlisle, PA in south-central Pennsylvania.

(Extensions to the Ohio border and to the New Jersey border were completed later.)

Although there were highway connections between these cities prior to the opening of the Turnpike, the ease of travel on a limited-access, 4-lane highway excited many travelers.

The series of tunnels through the Appalachian Mountains (initially dug for railroad lines), made highway travel much faster and more direct than previously possible.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Turnpike

Somerset, Pa is a borough of Somerset County in the southwest quadrant of Pennsylvania.

46 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, Somerset was the center of the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somerset,_Pennsylvania

In 1940, Somerset became an interchange on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

The rapid expansion of auto travel on the turnpike created a demand for lodging accommodations.

(The Turnpike was designed with “Travel Plazas” that provided food service.)

Consequently, the Roof Garden Motel opened sometime in the 1940’s.

It boasts of it’s rating by the popular travel guides – the A. A. A., and Duncan Hines.

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I am unable to find a concise history of the business, although there are numerous matchboxes, other postcard views, and motel memorabilia for sale on-line.

Likewise, I do not know what the name, “Roof Garden”, represented – the postcard photograph does not seem to include a roof-top feature.

The demise of the Motel is more clearly documented: the motel closed finally during the pandemic and was demolished.

This postcard photograph appears to be owned by the Nationwide Specialty Company of Arlington, Texas, but distributed locally by C. E. Kean of Derry, PA.

It is likely that the postcard was saved by some traveler of seventy years ago, or was consigned for sale when the Motel went out of business.

I picked up the postcard as a nostalgic reminder of the early days of the PA Turnpike.