News Release

Anniversary of the battle at Fort Necessity held July 3rd to 5th

18th century artillery freshly fired

C. Hinton/NPS

News Release Date: June 24, 2026

Farmington, PA- A public commemoration of the 272nd anniversary of the battle at Fort Necessity will take place Friday, July 3 through Sunday, July 5, 2026. 

“As we commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary, Fort Necessity offers a unique opportunity to experience the place where the road to the revolution began,” said Fort Necessity National Battlefield Site Manager Brian Reedy. "We welcome visitors to join us during the battle anniversary weekend to learn about the events that helped shape our nation’s history.”

Ranger-led programs begin at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. at the concrete patio behind the park’s visitor center. Soldier life programs featuring musket and artillery firings will occur in the Great Meadow at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Fort Necessity National Battlefield will host a volunteer group who will portray the German Regiment, a Continental Army unit recruited among German immigrants in Pennsylvania and Maryland in 1776. This unit fought at the battles of Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine, Germantown and Monmouth as well as Sullivan's 1779 Expedition through upstate New York.

The battle at Fort Necessity marked the beginning of the French and Indian War (1754-1760), which was just one area of conflict known as the Seven Years’ War. Fought principally between Great Britain, France and their allies, the Seven Years’ War engulfed the world and cost over one million lives. Britain went on to win the war, but the conflict unintentionally set the stage for the American War of Independence a little over 20 years later.

NPS

About Fort Necessity National Battlefield. Fort Necessity National Battlefield, a unit of the National Park Service, is the site of the battle that ignited the French and Indian War. This conflict, also called the Seven Years’ War, ended with the British removal of French power from North America. It also cost the British a lot of money, so they instituted taxes that ultimately caused a Revolution. For more information about Fort Necessity National Battlefield, call the park visitor center at 724-329-5805 or visit the park's webpage at www.nps.gov/fone