The Banana Split Was Born in Latrobe

This corner in Latrobe, Pennsylvania is where one of America's most beloved desserts was invented. In nineteen oh four, pharmacy student David Strickler, working at the Tassell Pharmacy that once stood here, cut a banana lengthwise, laid it in a dish, and topped it with scoops of ice cream. The banana split was born.

Bananas had only recently become widely available to American consumers, arriving in quantity through the late eighteen hundreds as steamship trade expanded. Strickler recognized the opportunity and added his own touch: a specially designed boat-shaped glass dish to hold his creation properly. It was practical invention as much as culinary creativity. Sold for ten cents, the treat caught on quickly, spread through the soda-fountain culture of the era, and eventually became a staple at ice-cream shops across the world. All of it started here, in a small pharmacy in western Pennsylvania.