Fayette County’s national parks see increase in visitation
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
Brett and Vicki Tatko of St. Louis, Mo. along with their children Noah, 19, Jacob, 13, and Anna, 9, stopped Tuesday at Fort Necessity National Battlefield while traveling to the Washington, D.C. to visit family for the holidays. According to Brett Tatko, they often visit National Parks and other historic areas while traveling to add to their family’s understanding of history.
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
Bryan Fonner, interpretive and education volunteer with the National Park Service at Fort Necessity, explains the history depicted in the museum at Fort Necessity National Battlefield in Farmington.
With year-end temperatures far above normal and gas prices at a six-year low, more visitors have been making their way to Fayette County’s national parks.
Brian Reedy, chief of interpretation, said this combination has allowed more visitors to enjoy Fort Necessity National Battlefield in Wharton Township and Friendship Hill National Historic Site in Springhill Township.
“We have visitors here this morning,” said Reedy on the Monday before Christmas. “Typically, it’s very quiet.”
The increase in visitation could be seen in the federal fiscal year that just ended: Oct. 1, 2014 to Sept. 30, 2015. Reedy said visitation was about 44,000 at Fort Necessity and 12,000 at Friendship Hill. He estimated visitation was up about 3,000 for Fort Necessity and 1,000 to 2,000 for Friendship Hill.
That increase has continued into the new fiscal year.
“We were busy over Thanksgiving. We had a lot of families,” said Reedy. “Friendship Hill is now open only on the weekends because of winter hours but there’s been a steady flow.”
It’s not yet certain what impact the new visitor center at Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County is having on visitation to Fort Necessity and Friendship Hill but officials are hoping that Flight 93 visitors will learn about the other four national parks in western Pennsylvania and be encouraged to visit them as well.
They also include Johnstown Flood National Memorial and Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, both in Cambria County.
While it may be too early to measure that impact – the new Flight 93 visitor center was dedicated Sept. 10 – Reedy said an example is visitors who learn about Fort Necessity while traveling to Fallingwater, the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home in Mill Run, and then make a point to visit the Wharton Township national park.
In addition, the public is becoming more aware of the national parks altogether as America prepares to celebrate the centennial of the National Park Service in 2016, Reedy noted.
According to its website, “The National Park Service was created by an act signed by President Woodrow Wilson on August 25, 1916. Yellowstone National Park was established by an Act signed by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, as the nation’s first national park.”
The website also explained, “The system includes 409 areas covering more than 84 million acres in every state, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. These areas include national parks, monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails, and the White House.”
Fort Necessity is dedicated to the story of the French and Indian War, which started in Fayette County with the skirmish at Jumonville Glen and the battle of Fort Necessity, as well as the Historic National Road, which is America’s first federal highway. The park includes sites for Jumonville Glen, the grave of British Gen. Edward Braddock, Fort Necessity and Mount Washington Tavern, a 19th century tavern on the National Road. Under winter hours, only the education and interpretative center is now open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, excluding federal holidays. The park grounds are open from sunrise to sunset year-round.
Friendship Hill is dedicated to the story of Albert Gallatin, who served as U.S. Secretary of the Treasury under Presidents Jefferson and Madison. He arranged for financing of the National Road as well as the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Under winter hours, the Gallatin House Center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays only. The park grounds and trails are open from sunrise to sunset daily.
More information is available at www.nps.gov/fone for Fort Necessity and www.nps.gov/frhi for Friendship Hill.