National Road Festival continues to be a popular area event
Photos: Observer-Reporter
In this file photo, people gather near the S Bridge at Route 40 and Route 221 to watch a wagon train roll across Washington County on the National Road. The National Road Festival begins Saturday, May 20.
In this file photo, “Howdy” Vansickle leads members of the National Pike Wagon Train Association along Route 40, as the wagon train heads up the eastern side of Summit Mountain on its way into Hopwood as part of the annual National Road Festival.
The horse-drawn wagon train is a popular highlight of the National Road Festival, held in communities along Route 40 on the third weekend in May.
Ben Moyer/ For the Observer-Reporter
In this 2019 file photo, members of the National Pike Wagon Train Association move along Route 40 into Hopwood as part of the annual National Road Festival.
The Historic National Road, the first federally funded road in the United States, was a key to the young nation’s westward expansion. Built between 1811 and 1837, the road winds its way through Southwestern Pennsylvania for 90 miles, starting at Addison in the east and entering West Virginia just past the hamlet of West Alexander.
According to Jan Dunker of Scenery Hill, a celebration to spotlight the historic highway was the brainchild of Charlotte Lane, then executive director of Washington and Greene County Tourism. The idea was part of an effort to prepare for the nation’s bicentennial, two years down the road.
“The festival proved such an early success, it continued each year afterward,” Dunker said.
Usually scheduled for the third weekend in May throughout Fayette and Washington counties, the festival is famous for its roadside yard sales and also includes live music, dance troupes, arts, crafts and food vendors, shoppe and restaurant specials and fireworks.
Among one of the most exciting parts of the festival is the National Pike Wagon Train, which will take its yearly trek from Grantsville, Maryland to Uniontown. During the trek, participants cover 42 miles of Route 40 by horseback, covered wagon and by foot.
This year’s festival is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, May 20 and 21.
Washington County
According to Clay Kilgore, executive director of the Washington County Historical Society, organizers are embracing the idea of calling the festival the National Pike Festival, a term used interchangeably by many local residents.
“In its heyday, people used to call the road the national pike, a term found in numerous letters dated even before the road was turned over to the states in 1835, and tolls were subsequently imposed,” Kilgore said.
In Claysville, organizers are attempting to reenergize the town’s participation following a lapse partially due to the pandemic. This year’s efforts will see an expanded yard sale as well as a core of 18th century reenactors (soldiers, militia and craft people). Live music is also scheduled for both days of the festival on a stage on Main Street.
During the festival, the Sprowls Building, a hardware store from the 1890s, will be open to the public for viewing as well as looking at what organizers are planning for the town’s future revitalization.
“A man named John Purviance knew in advance from a survey that the national road would come through the area, bought some adjacent land in 1805 and laid out the town of Claysville on his newly acquired property,” Kilgore said.
For years, Washington has been in the middle of the two most active locations on the road during the festival: Claysville and Scenery Hill. At the moment, organizers are planning to make the town a significant future stop for those attending the festival in the next year or so.
Local Washington businesses will feature some specials during the festival, and vendors will set up yard sale-style tables at the S-Bridge at the junction of Routes 40 and 221.
In Scenery Hill, the American Legion will open the festival on Saturday, May 20, with a 10 a.m. ceremony that will feature a bagpiper and local girl scouts. The annual wagon train is scheduled to move through town at 1:30 p.m., then camp overnight at the Community Center.
Other Saturday entertainment includes the B&B Dance Studio at 11 a.m., Pittsburgh Square Dancers at 1 p.m., live music by Submerge at 11:30 a.m., by South Bound at 3 p.m., by the Latchkey Kids at 5 p.m. and by Spirit and Grace at 7 p.m. The film Top Gun: Maverick will screen at dusk.
On Sunday, at 10:30 a.m. the Community Church will host a Heaven Bound Ministry Service, followed by dancers from the Legacy Dance Studio at noon and an animal show at 3:15 p.m. Live music includes the Crazy Cowboys at 5 p.m. and Rough Creek at 7 p.m. Fireworks will close the festival at dusk.
“If it wasn’t for all the work of the organizing committee and the townsfolk, we wouldn’t be able to hold the festival,” Dunker said.
For Kilgore, it’s the history of the road that’s his main focus. “The National Road was the highway of its day,” he said. “The annual event brings the history of the road to visitors as they drive along and soak in the scenery, the old taverns and other old landmarks along the way.”
Fayette County
Participation in the National Road Festival is something the Fayette County Historical Society has actively supported over the years.
According to Chris Buckelew, society president, the historical society has participated in every National Road Festival since its beginning. This year is no exception with three new exhibits set to open in time for this year’s festival at the Abel Colley Tavern, the society’s home.
To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Korean War, often called “The Forgotten War,” the society created a M.A.S.H. display on the second floor of the Colley Tavern. In addition to artifacts such as hospital and surgical equipment, and medicine to clarify drinking water, the exhibit shows two soldiers under the care of a doctor.
Visitors will be able to read on a plaque the names of 57 Fayette County soldiers who fought during the war, although the names of three additional soldiers have been discovered since. A uniform of a South Korean soldier will also be on display along with two dresses worn by South Korean women.
In addition to a tribute section devoted to General George C. Marshall, visitors will be able to see a painting of General Douglas MacArthur by Frank L. Melega, on loan from the Melega Art Museum in Brownsville. Also on view are photos of medals earned by soldiers killed in the war, along with related biographical information
A committee made up of Mary Tickner, Dorothy Gruskowski, Dennis Ballas, Connie Kitka and others added a second section to the exhibit representing a home typical of the area to recognize the families of those who served.
“We’re currently in the process of finding a Korean War veteran who might be interested in sharing their story of their war experiences,” Buckelew said. “The exhibit is our way of honoring the veterans of the war and their families.”
Downstairs, one of the rooms will tell the story of Captain Adam Clark Nutt, murdered on Christmas Eve 1882 by his daughter’s estranged fiancé, Nicholas Dukes. To avenge Dukes’ assertions that besmirched his daughter’s reputation, Nutt went to the Jennings House to confront Dukes. Instead, Dukes killed the dishonored father, who was carrying a pistol at the time, and was subsequently acquitted of the crime because Dukes asserted that it was a matter of self-defense.
Six months later, Nutt’s son, James, murdered Dukes in retaliation and was later acquitted by reason of insanity.
In addition to information on the two incidents, visitors will see Nutt’s personal cane and related artifacts. According to Buckelew, playwright Bradley Radcliffe is currently writing a play about the Nutt-Dukes stories that the historical society hopes to stage at the State Theater in Uniontown sometime at the end of the year.
A second exhibit concerns the Robert Playford family and a tragedy that took place on Dec. 13, 1930. Playford shot and killed his wife, Nancy, and three daughters before committing suicide. A year earlier, Playford lost a considerable sum of money in the stock market crash of 1929. Interestingly, a week before his crimes, he penciled in an addendum to his will that left his estate to his brother and sister, which suggests premeditation. Also interesting is the fact that his father, Robert Playford, defended James Nutt at his trial and prosecuted Nicholas Dukes at his.
Admission to the Abel Colley Tavern, 7083 National Pike in Menallen Township, is $5 for adults, $3 for students and children.
Also during the festival, Searights Tollhouse will be open for visitation. Complimentary tollhouse cookies and coloring sheets for children will be available. In the Colley Tavern parking lot, vendors will set up tables for a yard sale to benefit the archaeological dig project across Route 40.
Festival events also take place in downtown Hopwood, and at Nemacolin Castle in Brownsville.