Bowman's Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Bowman's Castle
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Front of the castle
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | Front St., Brownsville, Pennsylvania |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1789 |
| Architect | Bowman, Jacob |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 75001641 |
| Added to NRHP | March 3, 1975 |
Bowman's Castle, also called Nemacolin Castle, is a historic building in Brownsville, Pennsylvania. It sits on the east bank of the Monongahela River. The castle was built around an old trading post. This post was near Fort Burd, a fort built by British settlers. Fort Burd was important during the French and Indian War. The castle grew over many years, even adding a cool tower with battlements. People thought it was an amazing building during the Victorian era.
Contents
History of Bowman's Castle
Early Beginnings and the Trading Post
The story of Bowman's Castle began with a trading post. This post was built in the late 1780s. It was put up shortly after the American Revolutionary War. The founder of Brownsville, Thomas Brown, sold the land in 1786. A man named William Lynn bought it.
William Lynn later sold the land to Jacob Bowman in 1795. Jacob Bowman then started building the castle. This was in the late 1790s. The area was known as Redstone back then. The trading post was right by the Redstone Creek river crossing.
A Hub for Travelers and Traders
The community around the trading post was very busy. People built flatboats there. These boats were used by travelers and traders. They traveled on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. The site was also the end point of the western part of Nemacolin's Trail. This trail was a very old and important path.
Ancient History of the Site
Long before the fort or castle, this spot was important to prehistoric indigenous peoples. They found it a great place to be. They built large earthwork mounds here. These mounds were later called Redstone Old Fort by the settlers. Fort Burd was actually built on top of a sandstone base that was part of these ancient earthworks.
A Historic Landmark Today
Bowman's Castle is one of several large buildings from the 1850s that are still standing. It is a special place in western Pennsylvania. The castle is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is a very important historical site.
The castle's other name, Nemacolin Castle, comes from Nemacolin's Trail. This trail was named after a Lenape chief named Nemacolin. He helped make the ancient Native American trail better. This trail connected the valleys of the Potomac River and the Ohio River drainage basin on the Monongahela River.
The Bowman Family Home
Only three generations of the Bowman family lived in the house. Jacob Bowman and his wife started building the first part around 1789. It had a trading post on the ground floor. There was one room above it. They soon needed more space. So, they added a wide hallway. Jacob and his wife had nine children.
When Jacob died in 1847, his son Nelson inherited the house. Nelson added the east wing of the house. He also built the brick tower. Nelson Bowman and his wife, Elizabeth, updated the nursery. They changed it from a colonial style to a Victorian style. Nelson and Elizabeth had six children. Only two of them lived to be adults.
Nelson died in 1892. He left the house to his son, Charles Bowman. Charles lived there with his wife, Leila. After Charles died, his wife Leila lived there for many more years. After Leila Bowman passed away, The National Historical Society bought the house. They opened it to the public as a museum. Today, the Brownsville Historical Society takes care of it.
The castle was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. It is part of the Brownsville Northside Historic District.
See also
In Spanish: Castillo de Bowman para niños
