Your Dream Wedding Venue
The Gathering Place at Darlington Lake – Pennsylvania’s premier rustic Wedding Venue
A cozy yet sprawling luxury wedding venue that marries rustic elegance with contemporary luxury.
The Gathering Place serves as a rustic yet elegant wedding destination location.
Situated on 35 country acres in historic Darlington, Pennsylvania—just minutes from Pittsburgh International Airport, Cranberry Township and Youngstown, Ohio — The Gathering Place is an authentic log structure lovingly crafted from Amish-cut Montana hand-peeled lodge pole pine harvested from the Rocky Mountains.
Beautifully designed and thoughtfully appointed décor comes courtesy of a built in dance floor, beautiful cookie and cake stations, refurbished usable antique pieces and decorative lighting throughout, floor-to-ceiling glass walls allowing us to be an open air venue as the walls can all be open or closed based on your preference or need, all meant to reflect the natural setting and cultivate a sense of contentment and peacefulness throughout every season. Another great advantage is that The Gathering Place is strategically designed so that no matter where your guests want to be, they are always visible and able to see everything and everyone, with all locations are handicap accessible!
Welcome to The Gathering Place!
Ed and Annie Knotts, proprietors
As its name implies, The Gathering Place at Darlington Lake began as a private haven where owners Ed and Annie Knotts hosted intimate gatherings at their log cabin home. Years later, the couple decided to open their home as a Bed and Breakfast to overnight guests, as they wanted others to experience all that the countryside has to offer.
Darlington Lake was originally a wide area in the North Fork of the Little Beaver River that was used as a swimming hole. Cottages that were used as summer homes for Pittsburgh area residents were built along the banks. (It was a very popular location during that time!) Later, the lake as it now exists was designed and built in the early 1960s as a pay swimming lake. Due to continual flooding, the original creek area was filled in and flood control levies were built by the Army Corp of Engineers.
Ownership of the lake changed hands multiple times until Ed purchased it at an auction (much to Annie’s surprise!) in 1987. A year later, Darlington Lake opened again for swimming and recreation, drawing local families to the water for summer fun. In 1999, after the Knotts’ had raised their children, they decided to close the lake to public swimming, although their family continued to use its facilities for special events.
Five years later, Ed and Annie built their dream home, an authentic log cabin along the waterfront. It quickly became a beloved spot for the entire family to convene. After two of the Knotts’ daughters had their weddings at the home, others began to inquire about how they, too, could host weddings at the lake.
With open hearts, the Knotts’ decided to offer their surrounding property to the public. In June 2008, it officially became known as The Gathering Place at Darlington Lake. Initially, the weddings were held in rented tents. As time evolved, beginning in 2014 additional log structures were added. The Gathering Place now features an authentic Amish constructed log Event Center enclosed with sliding glass walls that can be utilized to fit the weather for the day, along with a 2016 additional log outdoor bar! Our ceremony site is our 2017 addition of a log gazebo located on the lake. In 2019 we added the sliding glass walls that give you a 3 sided complete view whether they are open or closed. 2020 for 2021 will feature an additional cabin strategically located near The Event Center as a rental option for the bride and her bridal girls and moms to get ready!
