Colcom Foundation has supported Fort Ligonier for more than a decade, helping sustain one of southwestern Pennsylvania’s most significant historic sites. A recent grant from the Foundation contributed to a special America250 exhibition that opened to the public on July 4, 2026.
Located in the Laurel Highlands, Fort Ligonier is a carefully reconstructed British fortification from the French and Indian War. Its mission is to inspire better-informed citizens by engaging them in the stories of the fort and how it helped set the stage for the founding of the United States and influenced world history. Through preservation, education, and interpretation, the site connects visitors with the people and events that shaped early America.
Titled To Rise and Fight Again: The Road to Revolution Begins at Fort Ligonier, the exhibition marks the 250th anniversary of American independence by examining the lives of soldiers who served at the fort during the French and Indian War and later became involved in the American Revolution. Among them are familiar figures such as George Washington and Arthur St. Clair, alongside many others whose names and stories have faded from common memory.
The exhibition centers on the profound personal decisions these individuals confronted. After years of service under the British Crown, they faced a choice between remaining loyal to the king and country to which they had sworn an oath, or casting their lot with the emerging idea of independence and the place they had come to call home. For some the path was clear; for others the decision was far more complex and costly.
Visitors encounter these stories through carefully selected objects, documents, and artifacts drawn from Fort Ligonier’s own collections as well as loans from other cultural institutions. The result is a highly personal lens on the human experience of the Revolutionary era, grounded in the very landscape where many of these soldiers once served.
The temporary exhibition remains on view throughout 2026, inviting residents and visitors alike to reflect on the choices that helped shape the founding of the United States.
Colcom Foundation’s longstanding partnership with Fort Ligonier underscores its commitment to preserving the cultural and historical resources that enrich southwestern Pennsylvania and connect local communities to the broader American story.