Overlooking the Monogahela River, Nemacolin Castle stands proudly as silent witness to Brownsville's historic past. Within the spacious interior are twenty-two furnished rooms which reflect early life in America from Colonial times to the late Victorian era. Included in the collection are many original Bowman family furnishings. In 1789, Jacob Bowman, a pioneer merchant from Hagerstown, Maryland, built a frontier trading post on the approximate site of Old Fort Burd. Active in business and commerce, Bowman was an important figure in the early development of Brownsville. In 1795 President Washington named Bowman Brownsville's first postmaster. In the years that followed, a mansion was built around the simplistic trading post. For several generations, the castle was home to the Bowman family. Today, it is listed on the Nationl Register of Historic Places and is open to the public.