Wharton Township near Farmington in Fayette County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Civilian Conservation Corps at Fort Necessity
Fort Necessity National Battlefield
| | National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior | |
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), July 12, 2020
1. Civilian Conservation Corps at Fort Necessity Marker
By 1933, the fourth year of the Great Depression, America's unemployment rate stood at twenty-five percent. To alleviate this and other economic issues, newly elected President Franklin Delano Roosevelt initiated his New Deal reforms. The best known of these programs to emerge was the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).
Administration of the nearly 2000 camps across the country and half a million young men came under the U.S. military. Other federal and state agencies, like the National Park Service, were responsible for overseeing conservation projects overseeing conservation projects performed by the CCC. Typical projects included fire prevention and control, landscaping, tree pest and disease management, flood and anti-erosion control, and park improvements.
From 1935 to 1937, Fort Necessity was host to one such CCC camp, Pennsylvania SP-12. The camp accommodated 850 enrollees during its existence. Re-forestation with trail and road building was the primary work performed here.
The legacy of the CCC is very evident today by forests, trails, roads and picnic area found in this national park.
Erected by National
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Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Parks & Recreational Areas. In addition, it is included in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1933.
Location. 39° 48.876′ N, 79° 35.19′ W. Marker is near Farmington, Pennsylvania, in Fayette County. It is in Wharton Township. It is on Washington Parkway 0.2 miles south of National Pike (U.S. 40), on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3437 Washington Pkwy, Farmington PA 15437, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), July 12, 2020
2. Civilian Conservation Corps at Fort Necessity Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Great Meadows Campaign (a few steps from this marker); Do you measure up in Washington's Army? / Are you dressed for the campaign? (within shouting distance of this marker); Fort Necessity National Battlefield (within shouting distance of this marker); Building Fort Necessity (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); British Defenses (about 700 feet away); The French Attack (about 700 feet away); Surrender Negotiations (about 700 feet away); Fort Necessity (about 800 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Farmington.
Photographed by Craig Swain, October 6, 2022
3. The Entrance Road Bridge Today
The CCC-era entrance road is now a foot path to Mount Washington Tavern.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 13, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 354 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 13, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on October 9, 2022, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.
