Friendship Hill National Historic Site

06/15/2026

The Gallatin House is now open seven days a week from 9 am to 5 pm (grounds and trails are open sunrise to sunset). And summer programs have returned to Fort Necessity National Battlefield!

Summer programs have officially started! From now until August, we will have daily Fort Walks at 10:30 am, 12:30 pm, and 2:30 pm. Then we will do a Soldier's Life with historic weapons demonstrations at 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm! (As staffing and weather permit)

We have some special events coming up soon too, including our Juneteenth Encampment (June 19th & 20th) and our Anniversary Encampment (July 3rd, 4th, and 5th)!

The Visitor Center is open daily 9 am to 5 pm, with the battlfield and trails open sunrise to sunset. Hope to see you soon!

06/11/2026

⚠️ Visitor Advisory ⚠️

Due to severe weather and damaging winds that moved through the area at approximately 4:00pm, several trees have fallen within Friendship Hill National Historic Site and on Route 166 at the park entrance.

Visitors are advised to use caution when traveling to and from the park, as well as when walking on park trails. Downed trees, hanging limbs, debris, and other storm-related hazards may be present throughout the area.

Park staff are actively working alongside the Point Marion Volunteer Fire Department to assess conditions and safely clear fallen trees and other storm-related damage. Temporary closures or restricted access may be necessary as cleanup efforts continue.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to restore safe access to the park.

For the latest information on park conditions, safety alerts, and any closures, please visit nps.gov/frhi

❗️UPDATE: 6/11/26 4:50pm ❗️

Vehicle access to the park via Route 166 has been restored.

Park staff, working alongside the Point Marion Volunteer Fire Department, have cleared major storm-related obstructions from the roadway and entrance area.

Visitors should continue to use caution when traveling through the park and on park trails, as debris and other storm-related hazards may still be present. Cleanup efforts will continue tomorrow morning.

For the latest information on park conditions, safety alerts, and any closures, please visit nps.gov/frhi

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

05/28/2026

On this day...

The Marquis de Lafayette stayed overnight on May 27th at Friendship Hill following a large reception in nearby Uniontown, PA. Both the Gallatin's and the Marquis hoped for a quiet evening of conversation. Unfortunately, this did not occur as a large crowd was at Gallatin's residence with the hopes of seeing the famous revolutionary. The Gallatins being hospitable, opened their doors to their unexpected guests. The General will leave today May 28th and return to Uniontown.

05/27/2026

On this day...

May 27th, 1786, Gallatin having received his inheritance in January at the age of 25 will purchase land in southwestern Pennsylvania. Deeply involved in land speculation and surveying Gallatin will purchase 370 and ¾ acres in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. This landscape with its gently rolling hills and fertile soil reminded him of his native Geneva.

05/26/2026

On this day...

May 26th, 1832, the sale agreement between Gallatin and a fellow Swiss immigrant Albin Mellier for Friendship Hill is finalized. Mellier will offer Gallatin $3,500 for the house, all outbuildings and any furniture left in the house as of the end of March. Gallatin reluctantly agrees to this price as he would rather retire and live his remaining days here but agrees to leave at the urging of his family.

05/15/2026

On this day …

May 15th, 1849, Hannah Nicolson Gallatin will die at the age of 82. Gallatin will die three months later. The Gallatins are interred together in Trinity Church yard in lower town Manhattan, in the Nicholson family plot.

#55

05/14/2026

On this day …

May 14th, 1801, Gallatin becomes the 4th Secretary of the Treasury. His tenure as secretary will last almost 13 years and is to date the longest to be held in that position. Gallatin will oversee much during this time which includes the building of the initial phase of the national road, the purchasing of the Louisiana territory from France, the Lewis and Clark expedition and the War of 1812.

05/14/2026

On this day…

May 14th, 1789, Gallatin will elope with his first wife Sophia Allegre. Gallatin will meet Sophia while staying in her mother's boarding house in Richmond, Virginia. The young Gallatin’s future mother-in-law is unimpressed by the yet unaccomplished Genevan.

"She did not want her daughter taken to the Pennsylvania frontier by a man without accomplishments, without fortune, who mutters English like a Frenchman and who had been a school master at Cambridge (Harvard).”
~ Excerpt of a letter from Gallatin to his friend Badollet.

05/08/2026

On this day…

May 8th, 1826, Gallatin is appointed Minister Plenipotentiary to Britain. This assignment, lasting just over a year, will be Gallatin’s last official position for his adoptive county.

Appointed by President John Quincy Adams, Gallatin in his new position will help negotiate an extension of the Anglo-American control of Oregon Country (Modern Day southern British Columbia, Washington State, Oregon and Idaho). In October 1827, Gallatin will resign his post to return to his home in Astoria (Queens).

05/03/2026

ATTENTION VISITORS

On May 4th, 2026, we will begin the process of habitat restoration at Friendship Hill National Historic Site. Our meadows will be getting a treatment to start this process. Please look for these signs to identify the three meadows being sprayed. You may notice changes to familiar fields while visiting this park.

The recommendation is to avoid walking directly through the meadows for four hours after the treatment. There are buffer zones along the road and trails where herbicide will not be applied, so those are fine to walk.

The National Park Service is rebuilding and improving native grasslands across parks in the eastern United States in
partnership with the Southeastern Grasslands Institute.

Thank you for your patience as we care for these landscapes and support the species that depend on them. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to stop at the Visitor Center on Saturdays and Sundays when the house is open, or call the Fort Necessity National Battlefield any day at 724-329-5805