George Washington 1753 Trail
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Description
A driving tour on the Mountainside of Maryland that follows the path of George Washington during the French and Indian War.
1. Emmanuel Parish of The Episcopal Church
With its consecration in 1851, the cornerstone being laid in 1849, Emmanuel Episcopal Church became the center of western Maryland’s Emmanuel Parish. The new building being constructed above the former site of Fort Cumberland, whose earthworks remained under the building. The earthworks created tunnels that were later used to conceal escaped slaves as part of the Underground Railroad. Emmanuel Parish established many other churches throughout the region, including churches in western Maryland and in what is now Romney and Moorefield, West Virginia. Visitors can view the churches many works of art including stained glass windows by taking a self-guided tour.
2. Michael Cresap House and Museum
This building was the home of frontiersmen and military leader Michael Cresap. His father, Thomas Cresap, was a Native American trader who founded Oldtown in 1741. Cresap cleared land for new settlements in the Ohio Valley near Wheeling, WV. The expeditions led to several small skirmishes between Cresap's men and Shawnee tribes; these fights eventually led to the murder of Mingo Chief Logan's siblings. This action in part led to Lord Dunmore's War in 1774. Though Cresap was chosen as a leader for the Continental Army, the resurfacing of a past illness led to his death before he saw any battles.
