Nathanial Ewing of Uniontown constructed the tavern. James Sampey acquired the tavern in 1840. It was operated by his family until the railroad construction boom caused the National Road to decline in popularity, rendering the inn unprofitable. In 1855, it was sold to the Fazenbaker family. They used it as a private home for the next 75 years, until the Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania purchased the property in 1932. In 1961 the National Park Service purchased the property from the state, making the building a part of Fort Necessity. The Mount Washington Tavern demonstrates the standard features of an early American tavern, including a simple barroom that served as a gathering place, a more refined parlor that was used for relaxation, and bedrooms in which numerous people would crowd to catch up on sleep. General Braddock's grave site In a separate unit of the park, lying about one mile (1.6 km) northwest of the battlefield, is the grave of General Edward Braddock. The British commander led a major expedition to the area in 1755 which included the construction of Braddock's Road, a useful but inadequate wilderness road through western Pennsylvania. Braddock was severely wounded in the Battle of the Monongahela as the British advanced toward Fort Duquesne. He and his forces fled along the wilderness road to a site near Great Meadows. Braddock died on July 13, 1755, and was buried in an elaborate ceremony officiated by George Washington. He was buried under the road in order to hide the location of his grave from the enemy French and Indians. In 1804 Braddock's remains were discovered by men making repairs to the wilderness road. A marker was erected in 1913. See also Joseph Coulon de Jumonville Jumonville References Citations General and cited references External links Fort Necessity & National Battlefield Education & Interpretive Center, Christopher Chadbourne and Associates, Inc. (Exhibit Design) [ National Register nomination form] Map links Main unit (Fort Necessity): Braddock Grave unit: Jumonville Glen unit: Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Necessity Necessity Necessity George Washington National Battlefields and Military Parks of the United States Museums in Fayette County, Pennsylvania Military and war museums in Pennsylvania National Park Service areas in Pennsylvania Necessity Parks in Fayette County, Pennsylvania Necessity National Register of Historic Places in Fayette County, Pennsylvania Conflict sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Protected areas of Fayette