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A sign above the door identified the place as the Fort Pitt Museum. Another sign explained that the pointed brick structure was a reconstruction of the fort's Monongahela Bastion. Pierce opened the door for Mariah. "You will see, in here, how people lived back when this was the fort." He insisted on paying the nominal entrance fee for both of them, then stopped at the large relief model in the center of the floor. |
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Mariah stared at the depiction of the way Fort Pitt had once been laid out. She wanted to recall as much as she could so she could pick out the remaining landmarks when they went back outside. |
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She found the museum fascinating. It even contained a fully furnished log cabin, complete with mannequins of a trader conducting business with an Indian, plus a life-size model of a garrison inside the fort. This would be a wonderful resource for researching costumes and props. She pulled a small pad of paper and a pen from her purse and made a few notes. |
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"Come," Pierce said finally. "There is more I wish to show you of Pittsborough." |
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"Pittsburgh," he corrected himself. |
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He led her out of the museum and toward the small five-sided building beside it. The bottom part of the structure was built of dark stone, the upper of brick. The roof was pointed. The wrought-iron fence that surrounded it prevented anyone from getting close to any part but the fence-lined entry. Brick pillars surrounded the gate. |
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"This," Pierce said, "was the Blockhouse, built for extra protection outside the walls of the fort. It is the only building of the original Fort Pitt that remains standing." |
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They walked up the path toward its entry. The small wooden door was locked, but Mariah tried peering inside through a barred opening. Too dark to see anything. She'd have to find someone to open it; the place had an atmosphere of age. It might even be a good shooting location. |
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"Come," Pierce said again. He took her hand. Mariah tried to pull away, but he didn't let go. |
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