Fort Necessity/National Road center to open doors next weekend
Historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author David McCullough will be the keynote speaker at the grand opening of the new $12 million Fort Necessity National Battlefield/National Road Interpretive and Education Center on Saturday, Oct. 8. McCullough, a Pittsburgh native now living in Massachusetts and the author of “1776′ and “John Adams,’ will speak at the 11 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony just outside the front doors of the new center, located at Fort Necessity National Battlefield on Route 40 in Farmington. McCullough will also conduct a book signing at 1:45 p.m. in the education classroom.
Noted French and Indian War artist Robert Griffing of Gibsonia will also appear at the grand opening and is slated to do a book and print signing at 2:30 p.m.
The new interpretive center will display four of Griffing’s original paintings during the grand opening, including two he created for Fort Necessity: “A Charming Field for an Encounter,’ which shows the British side of the battle at Great Meadows, and “Approaching Storm,’ which shows the French and Indians. “The Wounding of General Braddock’ will also be displayed and Griffing’s newest painting called “Thundering Waters,’ featuring Niagara Falls, will receive its first public showing.
Ken Mabery, superintendent of Fort Necessity National Battlefield, said, “It’s wonderful that national personalities like David McCullough and Robert Griffing feel such an affinity for the history of Fort Necessity that they are willing to share their time with us and we hope the public realizes the importance they have put on it and the importance the public can gain from this historic event.’
Donna Holdorf, executive director of the National Road Heritage Corridor, said, “The National Road Heritage Corridor is excited about historian and author David McCullough’s participation as keynote speaker for the dedication ceremony. His comments, along with his very presence, will elevate the event and the significance of Fort Necessity as the site of the first battle of the French and Indian War as well as America’s first federally funded highway, the Historic National Road. When visitors come to the new interpretive and education center, they will be immersed in these stories, it will be both educational and will inspire them to seek out the other historic sites related to these stories.’
The celebration, which lasts Oct. 8-10 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., will include an encampment of French, British and Eastern Woodland Indians as well as a market faire featuring 18th and 19th century artisans who will demonstrate techniques and sell period crafts.
The three-day event includes historic weapons demonstrations at the reconstructed fort, re-enactors portraying noted singer Jenny Lind and medicine man Dr. Balthasar, musicians who include the Percival Pickers and traveling fiddler Chuck Krepley, with programs on Elkwood Nature Works, 18th century clothing and Lenape Life Ways.
And for the first time, the public will be able to see the new 14,000-square foot, two-story building made of light-brown concrete masonry that looks like limestone and features a green raised-seam steel roof. The building contains 4,500 square feet of exhibit space, a 75-seat auditorium and theater, a 700-square-foot education and special programs room, interactive information kiosks that provide linkage to other regional historic, cultural and recreation attractions, a bookstore and gift shop, a library for scholarly research, restrooms, office space and special curatorial workroom and storage area for the national park’s large collection of artifacts.
This is a state-of-the-art interpretive center that includes innovative audio and video presentations, life-like cast figures, approximately 100 artifacts and reproductions as well as impressive scenes – such as the skirmish at Jumonville Glen and visitors enjoying a drink and good conversation at a tavern – that tell the story of Fort Necessity and the French and Indian War as well as the National Road. These new exhibits will explain to visitors not only what happened here, but also the importance of these events.
The new interpretive center replaces a 30-year-old, 3,000-square-foot building located near the battlefield that not only intrudes on the historic area but can accommodate only 50 people at a time and offers only limited use for interpretive exhibits. Its theater can host only about 20 people.
The former center, which will be demolished, could not provide for the approximately 100,000 visitors that Fort Necessity receives each year, including 2,000 to 3,000 school groups.
A public/private partnership allowed the new interpretive center to be built. Project manager Leroy Renninger of the National Park Service earlier explained the $12 million price tag covers the building, exhibits, a new film, site work and designs. The project received more than $5 million from the federal government, $4.7 million from the state and $2.2 million from private funds, including $1.1 million from the Eberly Foundation.
Those who are attending the grand opening on Saturday are being asked to park at Braddock’s Inn restaurant parking lot on Route 40, west of Fort Necessity.
They will pay a $5 fee for parking but no entrance fee will be charged at the fort on Saturday.
Shuttles begin running at 8:30 a.m. to the old visitor’s center, where visitors will be given a ticket with a time to visit the new interpretive center. These tours begin at 12:30 p.m. but the public has access to the grounds throughout the day.
On Sunday, Oct. 9, and Monday, Oct. 10, visitors are able to park inside the national park. A shuttle will be used to take visitors from the different parking lots to the interpretive center.
Visitors will pay a $7 entrance fee on Oct. 9-10. After Oct. 10, the entrance fee is $5 for visitors age 17 and older. Visitors 16 and younger are admitted free. The park will also honor different national park passes, including Fort Necessity’s annual pass.
For more information, phone Fort Necessity at 329-5512 or check the Web site at www.nps.gov/fone or call the National Road Historic Corridor at 724-437-9877 or visit www.nationalroadpa.org.