Complete information about visiting Fort Necessity National Battlefield is now on National Park Planner!
Fort Necessity National Battlefield is located in Farmington, Pennsylvania. The park preserves the battle grounds where French Canadian troops and British colonial militia under the command of Colonel George Washington clashed on July 3, 1754, in one of the early battles of the French and Indian War. The battle took its name from the small fort, Fort Necessity, that Washington and his men had built just a month earlier. The British were defeated in the battle, and it was the only time in George Washington’s military career that he surrendered.
The park’s Visitor Center houses a museum dedicated to the events that took place at Fort Necessity, the French and Indian War and the subsequent Seven Years War, the National Road, and the creation of Fort Necessity National Battlefield. After familiarizing yourself with the area’s history, head out to the back of the building and take a quarter-mile paved path to a reconstruction of Fort Necessity. For those looking for a little exercise, there are five miles of trails that start from the fort area. If you need a bite to eat, the park also has picnicking facilities.
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