Fort Necessity National Battlefield
Fort Necessity National Battlefield | |
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Location | Wharton Township, Fayette, Pennsylvania, United States |
Coordinates | 39°48′55″N 79°35′22″W / 39.81528°N 79.58944°W |
Area | 902.8 acres (365.4 ha)[2] |
Elevation | 1,955 ft (596 m) |
Established | March 4, 1931[2] |
Website | Fort Necessity National Battlefield |
Fort Necessity National Battlefield | |
Nearest city | Uniontown |
NRHP reference No. | 66000664[3] |
Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
Fort Necessity National Battlefield is a
The site also includes the Mount Washington Tavern, once one of the inns along the
Battle of Fort Necessity (1754)
After returning to the great meadows in northwestern Virginia, and what is now Fayette County, Pennsylvania, George Washington decided it prudent to reinforce his position. Supposedly named by Washington as Fort Necessity or Fort of Necessity, the structure protected a storehouse for supplies such as gunpowder, rum, and flour. The crude palisade they erected was built more to defend supplies in the fort's storehouse from Washington's own men, whom he described as "loose and idle", than as a planned defense against a hostile enemy. The sutler of Washington's force was John Fraser, who earlier had been second-in-command at Fort Prince George. Later he served as Chief Scout to General Edward Braddock and then Chief Teamster to the Forbes Expedition.
By June 13, 1754, Washington had under his command 295 colonials and the nominal command of 100 additional regular British army troops from
This was a
To reach the
Late in the day on July 3, Washington did not know the French situation. Believing his situation was impossible, he accepted surrender terms which allowed the peaceful withdrawal of his forces, which he completed on July 4, 1754.[4] The French subsequently occupied the fort and then burned it. Washington did not speak French, and stated later that if he had known that he was confessing to the "assassination" of Joseph Coulon de Jumonville, he would not have signed the surrender document.
Park formation and structure
During the
Subsequent
Mount Washington Tavern
On a hillside adjacent to the battlefield and within the boundaries of the park is Mount Washington Tavern, a classic example of the many inns once lining the National Road, the United States' first federally funded highway.
The land on which the tavern was built was originally owned by George Washington. In 1770 he purchased the site on which he had commanded his first battle. Around the 1830s, Judge Nathanial Ewing of Uniontown constructed the tavern. James Sampey acquired the tavern in 1840. It was operated by his family until the
In 1855, it was sold to the Fazenbaker family. They used it as a private home for the next 75 years, until the Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania purchased the property in 1932. In 1961 the National Park Service purchased the property from the state, making the building a part of Fort Necessity. The Mount Washington Tavern demonstrates the standard features of an early American tavern, including a simple barroom that served as a gathering place, a more refined parlor that was used for relaxation, and bedrooms in which numerous people would crowd to catch up on sleep.
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The Mount Washington Tavern, built as a stagecoach stop for early travelers on the National Road.
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An old postcard of the Mount Washington Tavern.
General Braddock's grave site
In a separate unit of the park, lying about one mile (1.6 km) northwest of the battlefield, is the grave of General
He and his forces fled along the wilderness road to a site near Great Meadows. Braddock died on July 13, 1755, and was buried in an elaborate ceremony officiated by George Washington. He was buried under the road in order to hide the location of his grave from the enemy French and Indians.[5] In 1804 Braddock's remains were discovered by men making repairs to the wilderness road.[citation needed] A marker was erected in 1913.
See also
References
Citations
- ^ "Fort Necessity National Battlefield". Protected Planet. IUCN. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
- ^ a b "Home Page for the Stewardship and Partnerships Team". National Park Service; Philadelphia Support Office. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
- ^ Leckie, 276
- ^ Fort Necessity – National Park Service
General and cited references
- )
- Leckie, Robert (2006). A Few Acres of Snow: The Saga of the French and Indian Wars. Edison, NJ: Castle Books. ISBN 0-7858-2100-7.
- ISBN 0-8229-4262-3.
External links
- National Park Service. "Fort Necessity National Battlefield". U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved June 29, 2006.
- National Park Service. "Battlefield History". Retrieved June 29, 2006.
- Fort Necessity & National Battlefield Education & Interpretive Center, Christopher Chadbourne and Associates, Inc. (Exhibit Design)
- National Register nomination form
- Map links
- Main unit (Fort Necessity): 39°48′55″N 79°35′22″W / 39.81528°N 79.58944°W
- Braddock Grave unit: 39°49′57″N 79°36′4″W / 39.83250°N 79.60111°W
- Jumonville Glen unit: 39°53′15″N 79°38′38″W / 39.88750°N 79.64389°W