The Mount Washington Tavern pictured here was built in the 1830s on land once owned by George Washington near the site of Fort Necessity. It is a classic example of the type of inns that once dotted the route of the National Road in its heyday, before railroad travel diminished the use of the road, making inns like this unprofitable.
The National Road was the first interstate highway funded and built by the federal government. It begins in Baltimore, Maryland, and ends at Vandalia, Illinois. Construction began in 1811, following the Nemacolin Trail, a long-used Indian trail, which was widened by George Washington and his regiment in the 1750s--an action that led to war between the British and the French, known as the French and Indian War in the U.S. and the Seven Years War in Europe. By 1818, the National Road reached as far as Wheeling, Virginia, now West Virginia.
Sections of the road are also known as the Cumberland Road or the Braddock Road, named after Major General Edward Braddock, who was the commander in chief of all British forces in the colonies in the 1750s, when his men widened the road further. He was killed in battle with the French about a mile down the road from the site of this tavern. His grave can be seen from the National Road. Sections of the old Braddock Road traces are now hiking trails at the Fort Necessity National Battlefield.
What a lovely place...nicely captured. Is it open for business? Would be a fun place to stop for a refreshment. Great history. You are wonderful tour guide through your lovely part of the country!
