Artist
Robert Adamovich
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 Robert
Adamovich lives on the mountain ridge that made 22-year-old
George Washington famous, the ridge where Washington
fought his first battles, where General Braddock built
his road, and where Braddock's army retreated in the
wake of the Battle of the Monongahela. Robert's driveway
is part of Nemacolin's Path; just over the hill is one
of the area's oldest and most famous landmarks, Half
King's Rock, where Washington and Indian chief Tanagrisson,
the "Half King" of the Senecas, rendezvoused
before attacking the French camp of Ensign Jumonville
and igniting a world war.
< Robert Adamovich
at his mountaintop home - a home he designed.
Robert relishes his proximity to the
historical time period he loves: the French and Indian
War, and his geographical closeness to the places so
critical to the careers of Washington and Braddock.
Robert is a respected engineer in bridge design and
an in-demand architect specializing in traditional and
rustic styles. Over time, his fascination with the trails
used by Colonial-era armies-some still scarring the
terrain-combined with his professional talents and led
to the creation of a unique 18th-century-style map that
depicts "West Pennsylvania" as it then existed,
not a land marked by major cities and highways, but
by trails, rivers, and Indian villages. Robert based
the map on actual surveys of the period.
In addition to being a functional
aid to teachers and scholars, Robert's 14-by-17-inch
map is also a work of art that takes on a three- dimensional
quality when viewed from various angles and distances.
From six feet away, many believe it to be a relief map
with raised surfaces marking area mountain ridges.
The map, created with basic inks and
even chimney soot that would have been common in the
time of George Washington, is the first in a series.
Subsequent maps will follow the course of the French
and Indian War, from Washington's 1753 mission to negotiate
with the French near Lake Erie, to the 1754 Fort Necessity
campaign, and then Braddock's grand march over the mountains
and defeat near present-day Pittsburgh.
In a few short months, Robert Adamovich's
"A Map of West Pennsylvania" has become a
local sensation.
He and his work were featured at the
Senator John Heinz Regional History Center in Pittsburgh
during an event known as "Frontier Days" in
July 2002 that was attended by more than 300 visitors.
He also appeared for signings at the Christian W. Klay
Winery in Chalk Hill, and on behalf of the Ligonier
Valley Historical Society at the Compass Inn in Laughlintown,
PA. A portion of the proceeds from sales of the map
benefit the Fayette Friends of Animals. A man of many
talents, Robert appears in the upcoming film documentary
George Washington's First War as a provincial
soldier in Washington's regiment. His map also appears
in the film.
Robert hosts the monthly half-hour
television program Historically Speaking on
HS-TV in Uniontown, PA, and writes a regular column
for the Uniontown Herald-Standard.
For more information on the work of
historical artist Robert Adamovich, contact Paladin
or call Robert at 412.439.3711.
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