Redstone Old Fort facts for kids

Redstone Old Fort, also known as Redstone Fort or Fort Burd, was an important wooden fort built in 1759. It was located in what is now Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The fort was built by Colonel James Burd during the French and Indian War. Its main job was to protect a river crossing on the Monongahela River. This spot was special because it was on an old Native American trail called the Nemacolin Trail. The fort was built on a small hill overlooking the river, near where Dunlap's Creek meets the Monongahela. The area is known for its red sandstone rocks.

A Look Back at Redstone Old Fort

Early Travel and Important Trails

Redstone was a key place for travelers crossing the Monongahela River. People traveling west from the Allegheny Mountains often used this spot. They would then continue by boat on the Monongahela and Ohio Rivers. Native Americans had known and used this important location for a long time. It was also the planned end point for Braddock's Road during the French and Indian War.

The fort was at the end of an old Native American trail. Settlers improved this trail around 1750. They later named it Nemacolin's Trail, after the Native American chief Nemacolin who helped make the path better through the mountains. From this area, travelers could go down the Monongahela River to what is now Pittsburgh. Or, they could travel overland on trails that later became Brownsville Road to the same city.

The fort's location was chosen to guard a river crossing on the Monongahela River. This river was a big obstacle for travel between the Ohio Country and cities on the eastern coast. The Nemacolin Trail was one of the few mountain passes that allowed this travel. Between 1749 and 1750, Chief Nemacolin and Maryland frontiersman Thomas Cresap helped improve the trail from the east to Redstone Creek.

French and Indian War Fortification

Colonel James Burd ordered the fort to be built in 1759. It was constructed on a large earth mound left by ancient Native Americans, known as the Mound Builders. Early American colonists called these mounds "old forts." This particular mound had large red sandstone blocks on top, which suggested it had been a fortress before.

After the area was settled, this site also became home to a group of Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). They called their meeting place "Redstone Meeting." Around the 1750s and 1760s, a smart businessman named Thomas Brown realized that any settlements west of the Alleghenies would need to pass through Nemacolin's Trail to cross the river. He worked to buy the land, which eventually led to the area being named Brownsville, Pennsylvania. Thomas Brown didn't live there himself but rented out and sold much of the land. He sold large parts to Jacob Bowman, who helped greatly with the town's industrial growth.

Lord Dunmore's War and Its Impact

Redstone Old Fort played an important role in the Colony of Virginia's conflict with the Mingo and Shawnee tribes. This conflict was known as Lord Dunmore's War (1774–75). Captain Michael Cresap, who owned a trading post, took control of the fort. He did this to stop the local Shawnee from controlling it. Cresap had claimed large areas of land along the Ohio River under Virginia's colonial government. He went there in early 1774 with a group of men to settle his lands.

Ebenezer Zane, who later became a famous Indian fighter and guide, was also working in the area with a small group of men. A group led by James Harrod left the fort on May 25, 1774. They were going downriver to settle lands in Kentucky. However, they returned to the fort because of threats from the Shawnee. A third, larger group, which included George Rogers Clark, gathered at the mouth of the Little Kanawha River (now Parkersburg, West Virginia). They were waiting for other Virginians to join them before moving downriver to settle lands in Kentucky.

After the American Revolution

In 1789, the historic Nemacolin Castle, which was a trading post and tavern, was built on a bluff about 0.75 miles east of the fort. This was along Burd's Road, which was part of the Nemacolin Trail. This area became a major link in the first National Road, connecting what are now West Brownsville and Brownsville. The early settlement around the fort was also called Redstone. But it later became known as Brownsville, Pennsylvania, after its developer, Thomas Brown. The name "Redstone" then came to refer to just one of its neighborhoods.

Redstone Old Fort is mentioned in a book about the Whiskey Rebellion. This was a protest in 1794 against a tax on whiskey. The fort was the site of the first meeting of this protest on July 27, 1791.

In 1803, Meriwether Lewis mentioned Redstone Old Fort in a letter to President Thomas Jefferson. He described his travel route from Harper's Ferry to Pittsburgh.

William Trent had set up a temporary structure called the Hangard in January–February 1754. He then moved on to help build a fort at the Forks of the Ohio River.