Fort Necessity National Battlefield Park - Pennsylvania - National Parks (U.S.) on Waymarking.com

Located in southwest Pennsylvania, on US Route 40 near Farmington, Fort Necessity National Battlefield presents a turning point in the history of the United States and in the military history of George Washington.
In the 1750's, both the French and British laid claim to the Ohio River Valley. In 1754, a small British expedition was sent to warn the French to withdraw. Under an inexperienced colonel name George Washington, the British were led by a friendly Seneca chief known as the Half King, to a French encampment. The French were taken by surprise and the French commander, Joseph Coulon de Villiers, Sieur de Jumonville, was killed along with ten others. One French soldier escaped bringing news of the ambush back to the French at Fort Duquesne, what is now Pittsburgh. Washington expected retaliation and ordered his men to build a palisade fort which he called Fort Necessity. The French did retaliate bringing in a force of both French and Indians from Fort Duquesne and took up positions in the woods surrounding the fort. Washington withdrew his men to the entrenchments surrounding the fort, but in the rain that fell, the trenches became a muddy mire. The fighting continued throughout the day with the British taking the greater losses. At the end of the day, the French led by Capt. Louis Coulon de Villiers, brother of Jumonville, sent an offer for a truce, and by midnight, Washington signed a surrender.

The park is made up of three separate sites. The main area near the visitor center has a short hike to the Fort, hiking trails, and a picnic area. Just a little way down Route 40 is the grave of British General Edward Braddock, young George Washington's commander in a 1755 expedition. The purpose of the expedition was to widen and lengthen the road from Cumberland, Maryland, to the forks of the Ohio River to accommodate artillery and cargo wagons. Braddock was killed in a skirmish with the French and Indians and his burial near this site is another interesting bit of George Washington history.
The third site, worth the visit, is further down the road at Jumonville Glen. This was the site of the ambush that instigated the battle at Fort Necessity. This is one of those places where the history really sinks in from a visit.

The Fort Necessity Battlefield Park also has a bonus and that is the history of the National Road. Begun in 1811 to continue the transportation route from the eastern seaboard to the western frontier, the National Road was the first Federally funded highway. The original road started in Cumberland, Maryland, and ran to Vandalia, Illinois. This National Road generally followed the line of the Braddock Road of the 1750's and was the primary route to the west until the introduction of the railroads in about 1850. The Road has been paved and re-aligned and is now incorporated in today's US Route 40. Once you know the history, you can see the remnants of the Road's various incarnations on this scenic by-way.
The Washington Tavern that was once a stage stop and inn on the National Road is located within hiking or short driving distance from the park's Visitors Center.
The Park grounds are open daylight to dusk year-round, except for fall and winter Federal holidays. The Visitors Center is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
There is a $5.00 fee to visit the Fort and Museum. A museum visit is recommended before visiting the other areas of the park to better understand and appreciate them.
The Washington Tavern is open seasonally from April 15 to November 1.

State/States the Park is located...: Pennsylvania Park Designation: Battlefield/Military Park Times the Visitors Center (or Park) is Open....: From: 9:00 AM To: 5:00 PM Months the Visitors Center/Park is open...: From: 01/01/2008 To: 12/31/2008 Website From the National Parks Service Page of this Waymark...: [Web Link] Are pictures included?: yes SECONDARY website.: Not listed

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