Fort Necessity National Battlefield

FO RT NECESSITY NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD

A Resource Assessment june 2004

® NATIONAL PARKS CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION THE FORT NECESSITY ASSESSMENT

1 ort Necessity National Battlefield F NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Schoolchildren learn n 1754, numerous American Indian tribes life that he did so was at this site. about the French and joined French and British troops (including Established as a national battlefield in 1931, Indian War from an interpreter dressed as I colonists) in the battle to control the Ohio Fort Necessity commemorates this battle and a soldier. River valley in the French and Indian War—called educates nearly 90,000 visitors each year about the Seven Years’ War in Europe. Historians assert the war’s critical significance to the country’s her- that this war led to the American Revolution and itage. Located in southwestern Pennsylvania, this thus was the beginning of America’s path to inde- 900-acre park is composed of three sections. The pendence. In the area of Fort Necessity, a 22-year- main site includes a visitor center, the recon- old George Washington led his troops against the structed Fort Necessity, and the Mount Washing- French and their Indian allies in the first battles ton Tavern. The tavern, built on land once owned of the French and Indian War. Washington was by George Washington, provided food and lodg- forced to surrender. The only time in his public ing for travelers on the National Road, the first highway built entirely with federal funds. quin, Shawnee, and Ottawa were generally allied Jumonville Glen marks the place where the first with the French, while the Delaware, Seneca, shots were fired in the 1754 Fort Necessity cam- Mohawk, Onondaga, Tuscarora, Oneida, and paign, and the Braddock Grave section of the Cuyahoga often fought on the side of the British. park is where British Major General Braddock These tribes are from present day New York, New was buried after his failed attempt to take the England, and Canada. Park staff contacted these French Fort Duquesne. Native groups to solicit contributions to an edu- In the summer of 2004, Fort Necessity cation packet that will be used to create exhibits National Battlefield will commemorate the 250th at the new visitor center (Fort Necessity/National anniversary of the start of the French and Indian Road Interpretive and Education Center) current- War. In honor of this milestone, the National ly under construction. The new exhibits will in- Parks Conservation Association’s State of the corporate an interpretation of Fort Necessity that 2 Parks program conducted an assessment to deter- includes tribal perspectives. mine the condition of the park’s cultural re- Building relationships with traditionally asso- sources and staff’s capacities to protect those ciated groups helps park staff better manage the resources (stewardship capacity). Fort Necessity’s resources they are bound to protect and aids in natural resources were also considered in this development of interpretive programs, and such assessment, but their condition was not rated. collaboration is required by National Park Service The current overall condition of cultural standards. However, few park units have the resources at Fort Necessity rates a “poor” score of resources to carry out this policy. Fort Necessity is 56 out of 100. The park’s ability to care for its fortunate to have a part-time American Indian ort Necessity National Battlefield resources, also known as its stewardship capacity, specialist to help interpret Indian involvement in F also rates a “poor” score of 44 out of 100, due pri- the French and Indian War. To meet Park Service marily to critical and chronic operational funding ethnography standards, this position should shortfalls. Because the State of the Parks method- become full-time and permanent. ology strictly assesses current conditions, the The park needs to conduct a traditional affili- overall rating does not reflect a significant invest- ation study and an ethnographic overview and ment of $12 million to build a new visitor center assessment to help identify traditionally associat- and state-of-the-art exhibits, due to be completed ed groups that want to work with the park. The in mid-2005. park’s 1994 Resource Management Plan calls for such studies to “identify and document site-associated groups (and contemporary descendants of CULTURAL RESOURCES these groups) and their relationships to the park’s cultural and natural resources,” but limited funds ETHNOGRAPHY (PEOPLES AND prevent action. CULTURES)—INCREASED The park's strong commitment to cultivate AMERICAN INDIAN PARTICIPATION partnerships with outside organizations and uni- NEEDED versities has yielded a few ethnographic projects. SCORE: POOR, 36 OUT OF 100 The Student Conservation Association (SCA) and Fort Necessity’s staff focus their efforts on inter- local universities are partnering with the park to pretation of the French and Indian War. This accomplish several traditional use studies, in- interpretation includes the 12 groups of Native cluding an examination of the role that the peoples who were allied with French and British Washington Tavern and the entire National Road troops. The Huron, Abenaki, Nipissing, Algon- might have played in the Underground Railroad. A scholar at the McNeill Center of the University ARCHAEOLOGY—MORE of Pennsylvania is studying American Indian RESEARCH NEEDED associations with the Fort Necessity region, and SCORE: POOR, 44 OUT OF 100 five years ago, the park began an internship program in conjunction with West Virginia Uni- Fort Necessity has eight recorded archaeological versity to bring American Indian interns to the sites that help contribute to the understanding of park. the French and Indian War and the National For the most part, contact with traditionally Road. Possible pre-historic sites have not been associated people occurs on a project-by-project identified, but there is reason to believe that a basis, and the park does not have regular commu- pre-historic village may have existed near the site nication with any traditional group. The park of the Civilian Conservation Corps picnic area. In 3 needs to appoint a staff member as the official the past ten years, in addition to the National liaison between the park and Native groups, and Historic Preservation Act’s Section 106 compli- this person should establish regular contact with ance work, surveys have been completed at the these associated people. Mount Washington Tavern, Jumonville Glen, the

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Overall conditions 56 POOR ort Necessity National Battlefield F Ethnography 36 Archaeology 44 Cultural Landscapes 48 Historic Structures 65 History 68 Archive and Museum Collections 81

RATINGS SCALE

CRITICAL POOR FAIR GOOD EXCELLENT

STEWARDSHIP CAPACITY

Overall conditions 44 POOR Funding/Staffing 30 Planning 37 Resource Education 38 External Support 86

RATINGS SCALE

CRITICAL POOR FAIR GOOD EXCELLENT

The State of the Parks assessment methodology and other State of the Park reports can be found at http://www.npca.org/stateoftheparks/ or contact the State of the Parks program at 970.493.2545 KEY RECOMMENDATIONS •Congress and the administration must provide the Funds are needed to complete an archaeological park with a $500,000 increase in base funding needed overview and assessment, add sites into the National to carry out routine maintenance and rehabilitation Park Service archaeological database, determine the and to hire a preservation specialist with technical condition of all the identified sites, and complete a skills. In addition, Congress and the administration long-term plan to document and nominate all sites to must provide a $495,000 increase in base funding to the National Register of Historic Places. Park staff staff and maintain the park's new visitor center by the should investigate possible adverse effects of park time it is completed in mid-2005. development on archaeological sites before plans are complete and approved. • The American Indian specialist (or park guide) position 4 at Fort Necessity should be turned into a permanent • The park needs to develop a new comprehensive full-time position, and one person should be responsi- interpretive plan and a statement that outlines an ble for developing regular communication and long- updated list of themes and objectives for park inter- term relationships with each associated tribe. pretation. The planning process may influence final design of exhibits at the new visitor center to reflect • Congress and the administration should increase new interpretation strategies. funds so park staff can complete cultural landscape inventories and reports for the undocumented land- • Fort Necessity National Battlefield should hire a part- scapes and restore the Great Meadows to its historic or full-time historian to complete original research state through an ecosystem-wide planning process. about topics relating to the park unit and to consult ort Necessity National Battlefield with staff engaged in developing interpretive pro- F • Congress and the administration should increase grams. An administrative history of the park is also funds to support the park’s archaeology program. needed.

•Congress and the administration should provide funding for the park to complete rehabilitation work on the historic Mount Washington Tavern’s interior, implement the 2004 historic furnishings plan, and replace HVAC units.

• The Park Service should conduct a business plan assessment so the park and the public can better understand funding needs, priorities, and levels of service. FORT NECESSITY NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD The park’s American Indian Specialist teaches a school group about Eastern Woodland Indian cultures and their roles in the French and Indian War. Great Meadows, and Braddock Grave. The Hansel CULTURAL LANDSCAPES— (Ink’s) Tavern, the Rankin (Rue England) Tavern, Jumonville Glen, and Braddock Grave are in poor AGGRESSIVE NATURAL RESOURCE or unknown condition. The Great Meadows has MANAGEMENT NEEDED had the most archaeological work completed to date. SCORE: POOR, 48 OUT OF 100 The park does not have any sites listed in the The park has five identified cultural landscapes: Great Meadows, NPS national archaeology database, though at the National Road, Mount Washington Tavern, the Civilian Con- least one site was supposed to have been added servation Corps (CCC) Picnic Area, and Braddock Grave. Of in 2003, according to the park’s goals. This goal these, Great Meadows receives the most time and attention. In could have been achieved if the NPS Northeast 5 the 1930s, the CCC played a major role in developing the his- Regional Office had enough staff to do the work. toric site for visitation. A Cultural Landscapes Inventory complet- Consequently, no official condition information ed for the CCC Picnic Area in 2004 found the landscape in fair has been established for the park’s archaeological condition, and provided recommendations for stabilization of sites. The park’s goals also included the pursuit of the site. Conditions of the other landscapes are unknown. The funding to complete an archaeological overview park’s 1994 Resource Management Plan identified the need for and assessment. This baseline study began in a baseline study to determine the condition of Fort Necessity’s 1994, but was never completed. landscapes, but the park has not conducted even the most basic Staff are unable to meet archaeological goals inventory work on the unevaluated landscapes due to staffing due to a lack of funding and staff expertise. and funding constraints. All five of the battlefield’s landscapes Because there is not an archaeologist on staff, the ort Necessity National Battlefield F are probably eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, park works with Indiana University of Penn- and documentation should be updated to meet nomination sylvania, Cultural Heritage Research Services, and standards. other consultants on archaeological investiga- Great Meadows, the place where the battle of Fort Necessity tions and compliance. Archaeologists from the was fought, is the park’s most actively managed landscape. At NPS Northeast Regional Office are also available the time of the battle, the landscape was dominantly marshland. to assist the park. Compliance studies have been Today, non-native species, particularly honeysuckle, are chang- completed for the new visitor center and pro- ing the landscape by crowding out trees and opening up the posed road construction. However, the park lacks meadow. funding to implement a long-term plan for filling Great progress toward the restoration of Great Meadows is gaps in baseline data or documenting resources underway. Last year, staff eradicated honeysuckle from 20 acres for the National Register of Historic Places. of parkland and scheduled an archaeological survey by the In- Section 106 compliance, required by the diana University of Pennsylvania to determine if artifacts are National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, was present. With help from the National Park Service’s regional designed to be a planning tool, but too often it office, the park now has a stream survey and a pollen sample becomes a reactive response to development study to help determine the historic tree line. Other successes plans that have already been approved, as is the include a recently completed natural resource program review case in this park. Thus, the most startling threat to for the park and regular vegetation monitoring. archaeological resource at Fort Necessity is park Despite this progress, cultural landscapes at Fort Necessity development, including roads, buildings, and rated poorly with a score of 48. Additional funds are needed to parking lots. restore the historic tree line, continue to address non-native in- Overall, park staff and guests understand the vasive plants, determine the condition of all identified landscapes, history and significance behind archaeological and implement a plan to monitor and protect these landscapes. sites and artifacts in the park. An exhibit of J.C. Harrington’s archaeological work at the fort site in the Great Meadows is on display in the visitor center. Harrington’s work uncovered the foundation and posts of the original fort and helped inform the plans for the reconstruction. The reconstruction of Fort Necessity is central to the

interpretation of the battle, and the park does a FORT NECESSITY NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD good job of explaining how archaeology and history contribute. The new visitor center will provide additional exhibit space in which to interpret these themes. New exhibits are being developed to enhance the theme of archaeology. 6 More research needs to be done to evaluate archaeological resources and assess conditions and threats. This research should lead to National Register of Historic Places documentation and nominations and an archaeological overview and This reconstruction of the fort is critical to interpretation of the history of assessment. Currently, archaeological data for Fort Necessity. Fort Necessity is not listed in the Park Service’s national database. Park planning and decision- complete necessary work. making processes often take archaeological sites There is insufficient base funding to maintain ort Necessity National Battlefield into account after plans have already been sealed, historic structures, so maintenance has been F forgetting the spirit of Section 106 compliance in deferred over the years. Today, Fort Necessity’s the process. deferred maintenance costs are $3.2 million and climbing. Because of these funding constraints, extra projects such as painting a building or HISTORIC STRUCTURES— replacing a roof cannot be completed. Thus, there $3.2 MILLION IN DEFERRED is little being done to improve or further assess MAINTENANCE historic structures. Even basic tasks such as keep- SCORE: FAIR, 65 OUT OF 100 ing buildings clean are difficult to achieve. A his- Fort Necessity staff manage 30 historic structures toric architect and other preservation expertise are that are listed in the Park Service official List of available at the Park Service regional office, but Classified Structures (LCS). Visitor favorites without funding for rehabilitation projects, these include the reconstructed Fort Necessity stockade people are rarely consulted. Two park employees and storehouse and the Mount Washington have received preservation training, but Fort Tavern. Among the other historic structures are Necessity needs another preservation specialist. monuments, remnants of historic roads, and pic- Base funding at the park has eroded over the nic shelters constructed by the Civilian Con- past several years, and the park has been support- servation Corps. According to the LCS, 57 percent ed through funds from Allegheny Portage of structures are in good condition, 33 percent Railroad National Historic Site and Johnstown are in fair condition, and 10 percent are in poor Flood National Memorial. Without an increase in condition. The overall assessment of historic base funding to carry out routine maintenance structures also uncovered a significant mainte- and rehabilitation, the historic structures in the nance backlog and a lack of technical staff to park will further deteriorate from the effects of the elements, visitor traffic, and encroaching Fifteen years after the battle of Fort Necessity, development. George Washington purchased land along the National Road, which he owned until his death in 1799. Taverns were located about one mile HISTORY—A HISTORIC SITE apart along the National Road, including the WITHOUT A HISTORIAN? Mount Washington Tavern, built in 1828 and SCORE: FAIR, 68 OUT OF 100 named after George Washington. The Mount The park rated 68 out of 100, a score of fair Washington Tavern, part of the historic battlefield because more research is needed to expand staff site, was an upper class establishment and did and visitor understanding of the historic battle- not serve the majority of the road’s travelers. field and surrounding areas. Additional research on the National Road and all 7 Much historical work has been done at Fort of its travelers would enhance the park’s interpre- Necessity, yet there is more to do. The themes tation at the tavern. that the Park Service focuses on at the historic A study of the Underground Railroad is cur- battlefield are: a youthful George Washington; rently underway. In addition, the park needs a the French and Indian War; the battle of Fort comprehensive administrative history to supple- Necessity; and the National Road. A comprehen- ment the work done in 1987. sive interpretive plan, completed in 1994, is out- As the score indicates, the park has done a fair dated and no longer used. A new plan and a state- job managing its history even though the park ment for interpretation that outlines a revisited does not have a historian on staff. To improve list of themes and objectives for park interpreta- stewardship, the park needs at least a part-time ort Necessity National Battlefield F tion would enhance the park’s already good historian to conduct original research, consult resource education program. Interpretive exhibits with others in the park who may be engaged in have been neglected in the past, though the interpretive research, and maximize existing part- scholarship surrounding the battle of Fort nerships with French and Indian War scholars. Necessity continues to evolve. Further studies about the American Indians ARCHIVE AND MUSEUM associated with the battle of Fort Necessity would COLLECTIONS—AN EXAMPLE OF enrich the park’s current interpretive programs. IDEAL STEWARDSHIP This research began through a local scholar’s SCORE: GOOD, 81 OUT OF 100 work on a history of American Indians in the southwestern region of Pennsylvania. The scope Fort Necessity provides excellent stewardship of of the project, however, does not specifically deal its archival and museum collections. Documents with the French and Indian War. The park’s edu- detailing George Washington’s early land hold- cation materials incorporate American Indian ings, the French and Indian War, and the Nation- groups, but there is much more the park staff al Road are well cared for, as are historic furnish- could do given more time and resources. ings associated with the French and Indian War. The National Road, now U.S. Route 40, was The park has a full-time curator who has the first highway built entirely with federal funds. worked on-site for more than 20 years, and along This closely paralleled George Washington and with other staff members, she has cataloged all of General Braddock’s military road and opened in the park’s 3,600 archival and museum objects. 1754-55. The National Road is significant in that No other park that has been assessed by the State it opened the Ohio River Valley and the Midwest of the Parks program possesses fully cataloged for settlement and economic development. collections. A fully processed collection means that staff Fort Necessity have been removed for conserva- know what they have, can make use of it, and can tion. Small rodents can also be a problem at the more easily monitor its condition, as well as safe- park, but the new visitor center will include stor- ly offer its use to researchers. In addition, the NPS age space, thereby eliminating most of the cli- Checklist for Preservation and Protection for Museum mate control and rodent problems. Collections shows that the park is meeting 94.7 percent of Park Service standards. The visitor cen- STEWARDSHIP CAPACITY ter meets 97.8 percent of standards, Mount Washington Tavern’s exhibits meet 95 percent of FUNDING AND STAFFING—PARK’S standards, and the Mount Washington Tavern BUDGET INADEQUATE meets 91.7 percent of standards. SCORE: CRITICAL, 30 OUT OF 100 The park’s storage facilities properly house 8 museum and archival items, and the new visitor Protection of park resources depends on suffi- center, currently under construction, will provide cient funding. Fort Necessity’s funding score is 300 square feet for library materials and 895 the lowest of the 14 parks the State of the Parks square feet for artifact storage and curatorial program has assessed to date. The park’s fiscal workspace as the collection increases. year 2004 operating budget of $1.22 million The largest threats to the park’s museum col- remains the same as it was in 1994 and supports lections are temperature and humidity control in the 23 full-time staff and the materials required the Mount Washington Tavern. The tavern’s to maintain the park. However, this budget does HVAC system was replaced in 1992, but it is still not support the 58 unfunded park projects that ort Necessity National Battlefield difficult to maintain constant temperature and total about $2.8 million, some of which are F humidity levels throughout the year. Exhibition included in the park’s $3.2 million maintenance can wear on museum objects, so some exhibit backlog. The park needs a $500,000 addition to display objects such as the original posts from its annual budget to begin to address this backlog

MORE THAN 65 PERCENT OF FORT NECESSITY’S MUSEUM OBJECTS ARE IN FORT NECESSITY NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD GOOD OR EXCELLENT CONDITION. FORT NECESSITY NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD 9 Fort Necessity National Battlefield ing thepark’s landscapes. view toaddress thenaturalresource changesthatare transform- Service shouldfindfundingforaplanthattakesanecosystem and developmentadjacenttothepark’s boundaries,thePark Meadows, problems withnativeandnon-nativeinvasivespecies, These animalsalterthevegetationandthushistoricalscene. issue ofover-abundant white-taileddeerandwoodchucks. dations from the1994RMPhavealready beenimplemented. was writtenmore than13yearsago,andmanyoftherecommen- Resource ManagementPlan(RMP)—are outdated.TheGMP documents--the GeneralManagementPlan(GMO)andthe the plan. completed inearly2004,butthere are nofundstoimplement historical furnishingsplanforMountWashington Tavern was viewshed duetoincreasing developmentonadjacentlands.A the park,andwilladdress howtoamelioratethreats tothepark’s examine whetherallpiecesofthehistoricalstoryare includedin plants. Theparkisalsoplanningaboundarystudythatwill important planningefforts forwildfire managementandinvasive Although fundingforplanningismeager, theparkisconducting SCORE: POOR,37OUTOF100 UPDATING PLANNING—SOME PLANS NEED Given thechangesmadetostream intheGreat The parkalsoneedsanativeanimalplantodealwiththe Like manyparks,however, thetwoprincipalmanagement TO NEED will experiencedeclininglevels ofservice. backlog willlikelygrow, andvisitorstothepark mer seasonalemployees. Thus, themaintenance not replacingsomestaff,andeliminatingsum- hours ofsomeoperationsandsupportfacilities, that arecurrentlyon-hand,reducingdays and addressing maintenanceneedswithmaterials being askedtoreducelevels ofserviceby only being financedappearsremote. Staffarenow school curriculumforparkexhibits. outdated parkpublications, anddevelopment of area, andConestogaWagon shed,replacementof some trails, monuments, fortstorehouse, picnic viously addressedinthisreportincluderepairsto the historicBraddockRoad. Otherneedsnotpre- complete thestudyfortrailconstructionalong landscape restorationatGreatMeadows, and issues, includinginvasive speciesandcultural T projects torehabilitatetheMountWashington and toperformroutinemaintenanceactivities. are subjecttosix-monthfurlough. In2003, these the park.Two arepermanent, whiletheothertwo education kits. plete withexhibits, aneducationroom,film,and v has helpedtoraise$12millionthroughaninno- tor andinterpretive centerisunderway. Thepark future assessmentsasconstructionforanewvisi- However, thisscorewill begreatlyimproved in resents currentconditions, alow scoreresults. visual program,isvery dated.Sincethisscorerep- center which,alongwithitsexhibitsandaudio- score forresourceeducationisitscurrentvisitor P SCORE: POOR,38OUTOF100 RE ative parternshiptobuildthe newcentercom- av art ofthereasonforpark’s relatively low ern, implementaplantoaddressvegetation Currently, thelikelihoodoftheseprojects Most importantforresourceprotectionare Only fourinterpretive rangersarepresentat R CENTER SOU ED TOSUPPOR RCE EDUCATI T N ON—FUNDS EW VISI- rangers answered questions and provided pro- gramming to the park’s nearly 96,000 visitors. Interpretive rangers made more than 86,000 per- sonal contacts through the visitor center and con- NATIONAL PARK SERVICE tact station, formal programs, and special events. More than 41,000 people came to the visitor center or the park’s contact station in 2003. Nearly 900 additional contacts were made through the 20 community programs offered. Noteworthy, too, is the park’s award-winning curriculum, “A World on Fire,” designed to maximize children’s experiences at the park. 10 Concern remains that, due to budget limita- tions, sections of the park and the Mount Washington Tavern are not always open when the public is present. The park must cover increased A new visitor center is under construction in a partnership with the costs with a static operating budget this year, and Pennsylvania States Heritage Parks Program. It will replace the current so has no paid seasonal staff to manage the exist- outdated center and feature an exemplary interpretive facility for park visitors. ing center and present public programs. This sit- uation may become worse as the Park Service has regionally and statewide. prioritized the park’s request of $495,000 to staff A noteworthy partnership developed in the ort Necessity National Battlefield and maintain the new visitor center for the fiscal park’s recognition of its outdated visitor center F year 2006 budget cycle. The new visitor center is facilities. In 1994, the Park Service and the Penn- scheduled for completion in mid-2005. Because sylvania State Heritage Parks Program joined in a funding is not certain, the park should develop federal, state, and private sector partnership to alternative and creative ways to staff the center, advance the complementary missions of two of such as an innovative volunteer program. their respective sites. The vision of the partner- Supplies for the center may remain tight. ship was to develop a state-of-the-art Visitor and Other resource education needs are an updat- Interpretive Center for Fort Necessity (a unit of ed interpretive plan to chart the future course of the National Park System) and the National Road this program and an education specialist to seek (a Pennsylvania State Heritage Park). The goals funding for development of an education plan. and plans for Fort Necessity and the National Road are complementary, compatible, and mutu- ally beneficial. The new Visitor and Interpretive EXTERNAL SUPPORT—AN Center is designed to provide a more efficient and OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE cost effective means to chronicle related histories, OF PARTNERSHIPS serve visitors, protect resources, enhance compat- SCORE: GOOD, 86 OUT OF 100 ible economic development, and encourage new Augmenting a park’s capacity to care for its and repeat visitation to southwest Pennsylvania. resources are the many forms of support a park The park developed a major outreach pro- receives from those outside the Park Service. gram to secure support and funding for facilities More than 300 volunteers, for example, con- and programs over the last five years. Nearly $3 tributed about 7,300 hours of service to the park million in private funding, $4.5 million in state in 2003. The park has an excellent support base funding, and $4 million in federal funds were Congressional offices to secure support for a national commemoration, and with governors to WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP recognize the importance of this event and gain •Park Service staff have initiated formation of a Friends state funding for educational programs and group for Fort Necessity National Battlefield. To tourism marketing. become a member, write to: Superintendent, Fort Towards those ends, the park helped to create Necessity National Battlefield, 1 Washington Parkway, a French and Indian War Commemoration Na- Farmington, Pennsylvania, 15437. Include your name, tional Advisory Council to be co-chaired by address, phone number, and e-mail address. Michele Ridge, former First Lady of Pennsylvania, and another co-chair to be announced soon; • Support of become a member of groups helping to establish a National Education Advisory Board protect the park, such as the National Road Heritage for educational initiatives; and assist with numer- 11 Corridor (www.nationalroadpa.org), NPCA (www.npca. ous other events in commemoration of the org/support_npca), and other regional organizations. French and Indian War, including 77 events in 11 •Volunteer in the parks. Many parks are looking for ded- states from 2004 through 2009. icated people who can lend a helping hand. To learn Advocacy support for the park exists but must about opportunities at Fort Necessity, contact the park be expanded to protect the park from future at 724.329.5511. external threats and pro-actively advocate on its behalf. In 2002, a Hollywood developer sought to buy land adjacent to the historic Great Meadows and turn it into a movie lot and stage. ort Necessity National Battlefield

F secured for the construction of the new visitor NPCA successfully led a coalition of regional and center, development of new state-of-the-art statewide park friends to derail the proposal, exhibits, and the development of a new curricu- which was ultimately withdrawn after concerned lum-based education kit. residents made hundreds of letters and phone The park also developed a unique partnership calls to key decision makers. with a private sector donor and the local children’s museum to design and construct the first interpretive playground in the National Park System, to be located at the new visitor center. The park was instrumental in helping to create and support the French and Indian War 250th Anniversary Consortium. Fort Necessity National Battlefield is the only Park System site specifically dedicated to commemorating the French and Indian War. For many years, the park has been collaborating with partners in southwest Penn- sylvania, including the French and Indian 250th Inc., Fort Ligonier, Fort Pitt, and Bushy Run Battlefield, among others, to plan local and regional events to commemorate the 250th anniversary. Along with these partners, the park has taken a number of additional steps to expand public awareness efforts such as working with ACKNOWLEDGMENT

NPCA thanks the staff at Fort Necessity National Battlefield who reviewed the factual accuracy of infor- For more information used in this report. We also thank peer reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions. mation about the State of the Parks® A special note of appreciation goes to those whose generous grants and donations made the report Program and this possible: Ben and Ruth Hammett, Tracy and Gene Sykes, the Efroymson Fund, and anonymous donors. and other program reports, contact:

National Parks 12 Conservation STATE OF THE PARKS® ADVISORY COUNCIL Association Bruce Judd, Chair Primary researcher: Amanda Van Lanen State of the Architectural Resources Group Writer/Editor: Elizabeth Meyers Parks® Program Dr. Francisco Dallmeier Design: Elizabeth Meyers and Pensaré Design P. O. Box 737 Smithsonian Institution Group, LTD Fort Collins, CO 80522 Dr. Sylvia Earle Cover Photo: National Park Service National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence PHONE: Michael Finley Other reports available: 970-493-2545

Turner Foundation Adams National Historical Park (MA) ort Necessity National Battlefield E-MAIL: F Karl Komatsu Big Bend National Park (TX) stateoftheparks@ Komatsu Architecture Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical npca.org Park (DC/MD/VA) Dr. Thomas Lovejoy Denali National Park and Preserve (AK) Or visit us at H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics, www.npca.org/ and the Environment Frederick Douglass National Historic Site (DC) stateoftheparks/ Dr. Pamela Matson Great Smoky Mountains National Park (TN/NC) Stanford University, Ecological Society of America Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument (MT) Robert Melnick University of Oregon Olympic National Park (WA) Point Reyes National Seashore (CA) Dr. Kenton Miller World Resources Institute, World Commission Rocky Mountain National Park (CO) on Protected Areas Shenandoah National Park (VA)

Dr. Douglas Muchoney Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park U.S. Geological Survey (MT-Alberta)

Dr. Douglas Schwartz The School of American Research Please visit www.npca.org/stateoftheparks/ to view these reports and to learn more about the Laura Skaggs National Trust for Historic Preservation State of the Parks® Program.

Dr. Lee Talbot George Mason University Copyright 2004 National Parks Conservation Association W. Richard West Smithsonian Institution/National Museum of the American Indian FORT NECESSITY NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD

® STATE OF THE PARKS

n average, less than 10 percent of the ment methodology is based on National Park NATIONAL PARKS National Park Service’s annual budg- Service cultural resource management guideline CONSERVATION O et is earmarked for management of standards. For information about the method- ASSOCIATION cultural resources and just 20 percent is targeted ology, other reports in this series, and the State for natural resources. In most years, only about 7 of the Parks® Program, contact National Parks 1300 19th Street, N.W. percent of permanent park employees work in Conservation Association, State of the Parks® Suite 300 jobs directly related to preservation of park Program, P.O. Box 737, Fort Collins, CO 80522. Washington, DC 20036 Phone: 970-493-2545; Fax: 970-493-9164; E-mail: resources. p/ 202.223.6722 [email protected]. The National Parks Conservation Association f/ 202.659.0650 initiated the State of the Parks® Program in 2000 The National Parks Conservation Association, www.npca.org to assess the condition of cultural and natural established in 1919, is this country’s only private, resources in national parks, forecast future condi- nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated solely tions of those resources, and determine how well to protecting, preserving, and enhancing the U.S. equipped the National Park Service is to protect National Park System for present and future gen- the parks. The goal is to provide information that erations by identifying problems and generating will help policy-makers and the National Park support to resolve them. Service improve conditions in national parks and * Nearly 300,000 members ensure a lasting natural, historical, and cultural * 7 regional offices legacy for future generations. * 35,000 activists State of the Parks® cultural resource assess-

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