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 cool historic building. You can find it in Brownsville, Pennsylvania. It sits right by the Monongahela River. This castle was built around an old trading post. A trading post was a place where people traded goods. This spot was also near Fort Burd, a fort built by British colonists. They built Fort Burd during the French and Indian War. The castle grew over many years. It even got a special tower with battlements, which are like the tops of old castle walls! People thought it was an amazing building for its time.
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History of Bowman's Castle
The trading post was first built in the late 1780s. This was shortly after the American Revolutionary War. The founder of Brownsville, Thomas Brown, sold the land in 1786. Jacob Bowman bought the land in 1795. He started building the castle in the late 1790s. This area was once known as Redstone.
A Busy River Crossing
The trading post was located where Redstone Creek met the river. This was a very busy place! People built flatboats here. These boats were used by travelers and traders. They traveled on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. This spot was also the end point of Nemacolin's Trail for a long time. Nemacolin's Trail was an important path through the mountains.
Ancient History at the Site
Long before the fort or castle, ancient people lived here. More than 1,200 years ago, prehistoric indigenous peoples found this spot important. They built large earthwork mounds. These mounds are like big hills made by people. The colonists later called these mounds Redstone Old Fort. Fort Burd was actually built on top of one of these old mound bases.
A Special Landmark
Bowman's Castle is one of several large old buildings still standing in western Pennsylvania. It holds part of Fort Burd, including a well dug by the fort's soldiers. The castle is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a very important historical site. Its other name, Nemacolin's Castle, comes from Nemacolin's Trail. This trail was named after a Shawnee chief named Nemacolin. He helped make the old 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 and his wife, Elizabeth, updated the nursery. They changed it from an older colonial style to a newer Victorian style. Nelson and Elizabeth had six children. Sadly, only two 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
