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-asso- ciated 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 pro- gram 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 fund- ing for the park to complete rehabilitation work on the historic Mount Washington Tavern’s interior, imple- ment 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,