WASHINGTON, PA (Oct. 23, 2018) – The National Park Service has partnered with Washington & Jefferson College and the National Road Heritage Corridor to commemorate the bicentennial of the opening of the Eastern Legacy portion of the National Road from Cumberland, Maryland, to Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia).
The National Road Bicentennial Symposium will be held on Saturday, Oct. 27 at the Howard J. Burnett Center at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania.
Dr. John Lauritz Larson, author of Internal Improvement: National Public Works and the Promise of Popular Government in the Early United States and The Market Revolution in America, will deliver the keynote speech for the event.
The symposium will also feature a special presentation by Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin, President Thomas Jefferson, and President James Madison, portrayed by Ron Duquette, Tom Pitz, and Kyle Jenks, respectively. Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin played pivotal roles in the process to get the National Road approved and funded.
Pre-symposium events include the “Historymakers Mingle” gathering, featuring local foods and craft cocktails, hosted by the National Road Heritage Cooridor, the City of Washington Citywide Development Corporation, and Washington Main Street from 5:30-7 p.m. Oct. 26 at Chicco Bacello; an open house at the Friendship Hill National Historical Site, the home of Albert Gallatin, from 12-4 p.m. Oct. 26; and a guided tour of the Gallatin House at 2 p.m. Oct. 26.
Registration for the symposium and “Historymakers Mingle” is available online. For full schedule information and to register, visit nationalroadpa.org/200th/nrbs/.
About the National Parks in Western PA
To obtain driving directions, fee information and obtain a listing of the special events presented at the five National Parks located in Western PA visit the park websites or Facebook. You may also email the Western PA Parks at WEPAinformation@nps.gov or write to: Superintendent, Fort Necessity NB, 1 Washington Parkway, Farmington PA 15437 Attn: Special Events Calendar.
About Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College, located in Washington, Pa., is a selective liberal arts college founded in 1781. Committed to providing each of its students with the highest-quality undergraduate education available, W&J offers a traditional arts and sciences curriculum emphasizing interdisciplinary study and independent study work. For more information about W&J, visit washjeff.dev, or call 888-W-AND-JAY.
