Fort Ligonier

In the summer of 1758, the British built Fort Ligonier, the western most British fort along the newly constructed Forbes Road which was about 220 miles long and ran from Carlisle, Pennsylvania to the French Fort Duquesne. (now the site of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). The British hoped to conquer Fort Duquesne and force the French out of the Ohio River Valley, an area that the French had been steadily moving into and claiming for France. 

 The British attempted but failed to take Fort Duquesne in 1754. Instead of negotiating a peaceful settlement, both countries sent troops to North America. This was the start of the Seven Years War a battle for control by England and France that became a world war with fighting in India, North America, Europe, the West Indies, the Philippines, and coastal Africa. Great Britain, Prussia, Portugal were allied on one side and France, Spain, Austria, Russia, Sweden on the other. A good portion of the museum explains the Seven Year War in detail. Exhibits also cover the building of Fort Ligonier and Forbes Road. 

The fort has been reconstructed in the original location following 18th century plans and clues found by archeologists. Buildings include barracks, officer's quarters, store rooms, a hospital, smokehouse, sawmill, bake ovens, and a blacksmith's forge. Wagons and artillery are on the grounds.

When we visited there were only two reenactors- a hat maker and a wash woman. Both were friendly and knowledgeable. 

The museum is accessible. Paved paths circle around the grounds. The fort is located up a very steep hill. The website states:   "Arrangements can be made for those guests who are unable to walk to the Upper Fort." We did not ask but most likely they use a golf cart that is not accessible. Most of the buildings have steps but it is possible to peek into them. 

The parking lot is unlevel and uphill from the museum however there are two accessible spaces in the level area near the museum where short RVs will fit. Fort  40.24142, -79.23872

 

Old Salem Museums & Gardens

Salem was established in 1766 by the Moravian church.  All the land was owned by the church and all residents had to be members of the church until 1857 when the church divested control of the town. Many of the buildings and gardens of the original center city have been restored or reconstructed with eleven buildings featuring living history interpreters. 

Old Salem which resembles a small Colonial Williamsburg is part of a residential neighborhood and therefore open to the public. Since the Old Salem website has no information about building accessibility  we figured it would be essentially non-existent and not worth the price of the tickets but we could still go to the free visitor center and wander around on the streets. 

The visitor center has exhibits about the Moravian church and the founding of Salem. There's also a exhibit about the small community of Happy Hill where freed slaves were permitted to live. Most of the original buildings were razed to build a housing project and US Highway 52. 

The visitor center is accessible. A covered bridge crosses Old Salem Road and a long ADA compliant ramp goes down to street level. The sidewalks are brick and not in good condition. The terrain is hilly so even rolling/walking along the sidewalks for the six or so blocks of the historic district is difficult. A few of the buildings are designated as accessible but we did not notice any ramps. 

 

The parking lot is large enough for any vehicle. Old Salem  36.08472, -80.24403

Genesee Country Village & Museum

Forty-eight historical buildings have been  moved to the village to interpret three distinct time periods - pioneer days, the mid 1800s, and the turn of the 20th century. The setting is beautiful and the buildings have been restored with careful attention to detail. Interpreters in period clothing welcome visitors to many of the buildings. 

There's also a museum, two restaurants, a pub, a gift shop, and a horse drawn trolley.

Unfortunately, even though the website and brochure have eighteen buildings marked as accessible, the village is not accessible. Some of the problems are steep hills, deep gravel, and poor ramps. The trolley is not accessible. I do not recommend visiting the village if you have mobility issues because it can be frustrating. However, there is a substantial discount: Discounted admission is offered for individuals with disabilities: adult $12, senior citizen (62+)/college student $10, youth $8, able companion/aide is free.

The parking lot is huge so follow the signs for accessible parking. The accessible lot is large enough for RVs and has a short, gravel ramp that goes to the admissions building. Village  42.99513, -77.88467

Frontier Culture Museum

The Frontier Culture Museum is an open air museum featuring a winding, paved road for walking or golf cart traffic and eleven buildings to explore along the way. The golf carts can be rented plus there are shuttles for another way to get around. Three farm buildings from England, Ireland and Germany have been dissembled, shipped to Virginia, and reassembled at the museum. An African village has been recreated. Three Virginia farm houses, a schoolhouse and a church have also been relocated to the property. 

The museum takes a different approach than most frontier museums. As visitors travel along the road they also travel through time, from Africa and Europe in the 1600s and 1700s, to a Native American village and Virginia farms of the 1700s and 1800s. Costumed interpreters explain the lifestyles of the people who lived in each house. 

The museum buildings are fairly accessible with ground level entrances. Some have two entrances to avoid steps in the interior. The terrain is hilly and there are some gravel paths so most wheelchair users will need assistance to see everything. The road does not make a loop. Backtracking is necessary making the distance about two miles out and back. The golf carts and shuttles are not accessible. Many of the stops have a spot where golf carts must be left. It can be a long hike to get from the cart parking spot to the buildings. 

 RVs will fit in the parking lot if parked through the spaces or lengthwise across the spaces.

The museum property was once a large farm where patients of the DeJarnette Sanatorium worked as a form of therapy. The farm had 1200 fruit trees, 20 acres of vegetables, a dairy and a stable of animals that included 60,000 chickens, 2,200 turkeys and ducks, 800 hogs and hundreds of cattle. The dairy barns are now a lecture hall. The hospital which was built in 1932 and closed in 1996 can be seen from the Virginia farms area. The cost to renovate or demolish the buildings is prohibitive so nothing is being done with them. Museum  38.12568, -79.05081