Fort Necessity

https://www.nps.gov/fone/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Necessity_National_Battlefield Fort Necessity National Battlefield is located in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States, which preserves the site of the Battle of Fort Necessity. The battle, which took place on July 3, 1754, was an early battle of the French and Indian War, and resulted in the surrender of British colonial forces under Colonel George Washington, to the French and Indians, under Louis Coulon de Villiers. The site also includes the Mount Washington Tavern, once one of the inns along the National Road, and in two separate units the grave of British General Edward Braddock, killed in 1755, and the site of the Battle of Jumonville Glen. The battle at Fort Necessity in the summer of 1754 was the opening action of the French and Indian War. This war was a clash of British, French and American Indian cultures. It ended with the removal of French power from North America. The stage was set for the American Revolution. The main unit of the park is located 11 miles east of Uniontown, Pennsylvania on U.S. Highway 40. The visitor center, reconstructed Fort Necessity, Mount Washington Tavern and picnic area are located in the main unit of the park. Fort Necessity/National Road Interpretive and Education Center The exhibits an programs at The Fort Necessity/National Road Interpretive and Education Center immerse visitors and students in the diverse cultures and customs of mid-eighteenth century Pennsylvania. The bookstore gift-shop provides a selection of theme related souvenirs and in-depth material for those who want to learn more after visiting the park. Exhibits also cover the National Road, the first federally funded highway, that linked the east and west of the young United States. The visitor center parking area is the second right after entering the park from US Hwy 40. Mount Washington Tavern The Mount Washington Tavern is a museum that focuses on travel and life along the National Road in the early 1800s, when it was a stagecoach stop along the nation's first federally funded highway. The Mount Washington Tavern is located in the main unit of Fort Necessity National Battlefield on a hill overlooking Fort Necessity. Please stop at the Fort Necessity Visitor Center prior to visiting the tavern. Fort Necessity Circular stockade in the middle of a meadow. Dramatic clouds build in the blue sky. The small circular stockade of Fort Necessity served as a supply depot for George Washington's Virginia Regiment during their 1754 campaign. Fort Necessity in Winter cabin and stockade casting shadows on the snow Fort Necessity National Battlefield is open year round. Fort Necessity Fort Necessity and the Great Meadow with trail and tree in the foreground Fort Necessity was the site of George Washington's first military experience at the beginning of the French and Indian War My Experience With "Shop With a Cop" As a law enforcement officer at Friendship Hill National Historic Site and Fort Necessity National Battlefield, my duties give me a lot of different experiences. On December 18, 2017, I found myself at the Mount Pleasant Walmart in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, shopping for Christmas presents with a three-year-old girl named Anastasia. The National Road The story of America's first federally funded highway. Map of the National Road Traveling on the National Road The opening of the National Road saw thousands of travelers heading west over the Allegheny Mountains to settle the rich land of the Ohio River Valley. Young George Washington's Adventures: Meeting the French As Washington journeys into the wilderness he experiences difficult situations: the winter trip was snowy, he needed to consult with the American Indians, and negotiate with the French. He succeeded in delivering the governor's letter to the French. Washington on horseback in the snow and a map of his route. Young George Washington's Adventures: What's Next? Washington’s trip to the French at Fort LeBoeuf had shown he was skilled and dependable leading to new opportunities for the young Virginian. Washington from the French and Indian War, from the American Revolution, and from his presidency Young George Washington's Adventures: The Return Journey Washington’s trip to the French at Fort LeBoeuf had shown he was skilled and dependable and led to new opportunities for the young Virginian. An Indian firing a musket directly at the viewer Young George Washington's Adventures: The Beginning George Washington had an exciting trip in 1753 when he delivered a letter from the Virginia governor to the French at Fort LeBoeuf. The return trip with the French reply was just as difficult and hazardous. Bust of young George Wahington in red military uniform Forest Health Monitoring in Fort Necessity National Battlefield Studying the different components of Fort Necessity National Battlefield’s forest gives the park information on the health of the forest, and allows park managers to make better informed decisions on how to manage the forest. In particular, mortality (how many trees are dying), recruitment (how many trees are growing into the canopy), and tree growth are important indicators of forest health and vitality. Maidenhair fern cluster on the forest floor. Restoring the Landscape at Fort Necessity The story of the Fort Necessity landscape and the techniques used to discover the historic landscape, so that restoration could begin. Sign indicating historic tree line of Great Meadows at Fort Necessity Forest Health in a Regional Context Eight Inventory and Monitoring networks have been collaborating on forest health monitoring since 2005. Participants include 61 national parks in the eastern United States. As a result of this collaboration, vegetation data are collected in similar ways, which allows us to compare various parks across the region. One person on the forest floor collecting data, while another records the data So Many Mushrooms! It started as a personal project. Biological technician Sarah Daugherty would be out collecting data for the Eastern Rivers and Mountains Network’s forest health monitoring program, and notice so many cool mushrooms. She started taking photos and jotting down what she saw. Soon, she noticed that many of the species she was finding weren't on park species lists. Discussing her discoveries with her colleagues, everyone agreed that a more formal fungi inventory was in order. Mushrooms of different colors, shapes, and sizes, laid out next to each other on a floor Bat Population Monitoring in western Pennsylvania national parks White-nose syndrome has decimated the populations of several bat species across the Northeast and research indicates that bat populations in western Pennsylvania national parks have been affected by the disease. Many species that were once common, are now rare. In order to better protect bats, the National Park Service continues to study how bat populations are changing. A northern long-eared bat showing symptoms of white-nose syndrome. NPS Geodiversity Atlas—Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Pennsylvania Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. Links to products from Baseline Geologic and Soil Resources Inventories provide access to maps and reports. [Site Under Development] wooden fence and trees Western Pennsylvania Virtual Junior Ranger Learn about the everyday heroes at five western Pennsylvania National Park Sites who rose to the challenges that faced them and made history. Answer questions and learn about Allegheny Portage Railroad national Historic Site, Flight 93 National Memorial, Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Friendship Hill National Historic Site and Johnstown Flood National Memorial to become a Virtual Junior Ranger. A collage of employees and kids and the question 2019 Weather In Review: Fort Necessity National Battlefield In 2019, Fort Necessity National Battlefield had a warm and wet year. The year ended as the 9th warmest and 13th wettest since 1895. View of the side of a cabin and a post fence under a blue sky. Silent Witnesses, Old Trees are Hiding in Our Midst An article about old trees in Eastern Rivers and Mountains Network (ERMN) parks. ERMN scientists have collected cores from two "average" looking canopy trees adjacent to every permanent long-term forest health monitoring plot in network parks. Of the 700 trees cored, over 60 of them hovered near 200 years old. A woman uses an increment borer to take a core sample from a tree. Prelude to war in North America Events in the mid-18th century put the French and British on a collision course in the Ohio River Valley. Map showing Washington's trips to the Ohio Country in 1753 and 1754 Celebrating soils across the National Park System First in a series of three "In Focus" articles that share insights into the near-universal and far-reaching effects of soils on the ecology, management, and enjoyment of our national parks. Fossil soils at Cabrillo National Monument reveal marine deposits The Braddock Campaign After the Virginians failed to secure the Ohio Country, the British sent General Braddock of the Coldstream Guard to evict the French. His failure was even more spectacular than Washington's. Soldiers in Red Coat and tricorn hats with heads bowed around a grave Battle of Fort Necessity The French intend to stop the British advance to the Forks of the Ohio at all costs. They march out of Fort Duquesne with a large force of Marines bolstered by their American Indian allies and encounter the Virginians at the Great Meadows. Reenactors representing British regular soldiers firing a volley from black power muskets. Jumonville Glen George Washington encounters a French patrol in a secluded glen in 1754. Contemporary historian Horace Walpole said it was here that "The volley fired by a young Virginian in the backwoods of America set the world on fire." Jumonville Glen Series: National Park Service Geodiversity Atlas The servicewide Geodiversity Atlas provides information on <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/geoheritage-conservation.htm">geoheritage</a> and <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/geodiversity.htm">geodiversity</a> resources and values all across the National Park System to support science-based management and education. The <a href="https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1088/index.htm">NPS Geologic Resources Division</a> and many parks work with National and International <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/park-geology.htm">geoconservation</a> communities to ensure that NPS abiotic resources are managed using the highest standards and best practices available. park scene mountains Series: National Road - America's First Federally Funded Highway The road George Washington cut through the forest was replaced by the National Road. The road bustled with traffic heading from port to plains and plains to port. Map of the National Road Series: French and Indian War - The Contest for the Ohio River Valley In 1753 a young George Washington crossed the Allegheny Mountains on missions he hoped would lead to a career as a British Officer and land holdings that would make him wealthy. He was unsuccessful in both goals and his actions sparked a war that spread across the globe. Map of Washington's trips to the Ohio Valley 1753-1755 2020 Weather In Review: Fort Necessity National Battlefield Fort Necessity National Battlefield had a very warm 2020 but had total precipitation that was near normal. In total, the year ended as the 4th warmest and 58th wettest on record. Dark clouds above an orange sunrise. All Hope is Not Lost – Parks plan strategically to treat invasive plants Managing invasive plant species can seem like an endless and insurmountable challenge, but parks are using a new strategic collaborative tool to protect their most valuable resources. Four photos show invasive plants spreading over an area during 12 years 2021 Weather In Review: Fort Necessity National Battlefield Fort Necessity National Battlefield had a very warm 2021 with total precipitation that was slightly above normal. In total, the year ended as the 4th warmest and 49th wettest on record. Mount Washington Tavern Resilient Forests Initiative - Managing Invasive Plants & Pests Park forests are threatened by invasive plants and pests. Strategically tackling invasive plants to protect park’s highest priority natural resources and planning around forest pests and pathogens are important actions in managing resilient forests. Forest Regeneration Managing Resilient Forests. A Regional Initiative Forests cover tens of thousands of acres in eastern national parks and these critical resources face a range of interacting stressors: over-abundant white-tailed deer populations, invasive plant dominance, novel pests and pathogens, among other threats. The Resilient Forests Initiative will help parks address these issue collectively. Forest health monitoring I&M Networks Support Resilient Forest Management NPS Inventory and Monitoring Networks have been tracking forest health in eastern national parks since 2006. This monitoring information can guide resilient forest management and support parks in adapting to changing conditions through the actions described below. Forest health monitoring Series: Managing Resilient Forests Initiative for Eastern National Parks Forests in the northeastern U.S. are in peril. Over-abundant deer, invasive plants, and insect pests are impacting park forests, threatening to degrade the scenic vistas and forested landscapes that parks are renowned for. With regional collaboration, parks can manage these impacts and help forests be resilient. This article series explores tools available to park managers to achieve their goals. Healthy forests have many native seedlings and saplings. Streamside Bird Monitoring in Fort Necessity National Battlefield Streamside bird monitoring at Fort Necessity National Battlefield 2008-2012 indicates that 71% of bird species that breed in the park during the summer have stable or increasing populations. A gray colored bird with red eyes is perched on a lichen covered branch. 2022 Weather in Review: Fort Necessity National Battlefield In all, 2022 was a near-normal year for temperature but was slightly wetter than average at Fort Necessity National Battlefield. The year ended as the 54th warmest and 39th wettest on record (since 1895). Fall foliage with the Great Meadows in the background