Southwest Pennsylvania

Last Update: 23/FEBRUARY/2008

Compiled by Pete Payette - Š2008 American Forts Network

Zollarsville Fort
(unknown dates), Old Zollarsville
A Native American structure.

Col. James Burd's Fort (1)
(1755 - 1759), Brownsville
A settlers' stockade and trading post, built after General Braddock's Campaign. Relocated to the site of Fort Redstone in 1759 (see below).

Fort Redstone
(1754, 1759 - 1763, 1774 ?, 1778), Brownsville
A Virginia colonial militia stockaded post in 1754, a supply base for Fort Prince George. Also known as Redstone Fort (1). It was destroyed by the French in June 1754. This may have also been the site of an early Indian fortification. A British fort was proposed here in 1755 during Gen. Braddock's Campaign, but was never built. The post was rebuilt by the PA colonial militia as the relocated Fort Burd (2) in 1759 (see above), it was also known as Redstone Fort (2). It was a moated stockade with bastions, and log barracks. It was abandoned in 1763. The site was possibly used by Virginia state militia in 1774. A Patriot / VA state militia supply depot was here in 1778.
In 1786 a civilian trading post was built on the site, and in 1796 it was rebuilt as the Nemacolin Castle, a large stone mansion with an octagonal tower with battlements. Operated by the Brownsville Historical Society, located between Brashear and Front Streets.

Flour Bag Fort
(Bushy Run Battlefield State Park)
(1763), Jeanette
British troops on their way to reinforce Fort Pitt during Pontiac's Rebellion were ambushed here. They had to use bags filled with flour for barricades. After a two-day battle, the Indians were defeated. A granite monument and a recreation of the "fort" are here. Admission fee.

Three Redoubts Camp
(1758), near Hanna's Town
A British fortified encampment during General Forbes' Campaign. No traces of earthworks remain. Site located one and one-half miles west of town at PA 819 and Route 1032 (Old Forbes Road).

Breastwork Hill
(1758), near Baggaley
A British earthwork on Nine Mile Run, built as an outpost to Fort Ligonier.

Thickety Run Camp
(1755), near Madison
A British encampment during General Braddock's Campaign.

Salt Lick Camp
(1755), near New Stanton
A British encampment during General Braddock's Campaign.

Great Swamp Camp
(1755), near Bridgeport
A British encampment during General Braddock's Campaign.

Fort Ligonier
(1758 - 1766), Ligonier
The staging area for the November 1758 British attack on Fort DuQuesne, at an old Delaware Indian village called Loyalhanna. Originally known as Post at Loyalhanna, it was attacked by the French in October 1758 soon after it was constructed. The fort also served as a place of refuge for the local settlers. Attacked twice during Pontiac's War in 1763, it never fell. The current structure is a 1954 reconstruction, complete in every detail. It is a 200-foot square stockade with four bastions, two log barracks, Officers' quarters, Officers' mess, powder magazine, and armory, along with an outer trench and the Fascine Battery and the East and West Batteries. Other reconstructed structures include the hospital, bake ovens, sawmill, smithy, and Indian lodges. Museum located at 200 South Market Street. Admission fee. Another website

Christopher Gist's Post
(1749 - 1754), near Mt. Braddock
A fortified British settlers' trading post that was destroyed by the French in July 1754.

Col. Dunbar's Camp
(1755), near Jumonville
A British encampment during General Braddock's Campaign. Site located 0.2 mile north of Jumonville Glen, where a French force was attacked by Virginia troops in May 1754, sparking the first true world war, the Seven Years/French and Indian War.

Rock Fort Camp
(1755), Washington Springs
A British encampment during General Braddock's Campaign. Also known as Half King's Rock.

Old Orchard Camp
(1755), near Farmington
A British encampment during General Braddock's Campaign. Site of Braddock's Grave after his defeat at the Battle of Monongahela (July 1755).

Fort Necessity (National Battlefield)
(1754), Farmington
A replica of the 50-foot circular stockaded fort with an interior storehouse. It was armed with nine guns. This is the site of George Washington's only surrender of his military career, and the opening battle of the French and Indian War (July 1754). Admission fee.

Twelve Springs Camp
(1755), near Farmington
A British encampment during General Braddock's Campaign. Marker on US 40 three miles east of town.

Squaw Fort Camp
(1755), Somerfield
A British encampment during General Braddock's Campaign against Fort DuQuesne.

McLean's Redoubt
(1758), Jenner Township, Somerset County
An outpost of Fort Ligonier, located on Laurel Hill, presumably along the Forbes Road.

Fort Dudgeon
(1758), Jennerstown
A temporary fortified British way station on the Forbes Road, located 1.3 miles west of town. Site destroyed by modern strip mining operations. Also known as Clear Fields Camp. Located just to the west was Tomahawk Camp.

Fort Stony Creek
(1758 - 1763), Kantner
A British redoubt and supply camp on the Forbes Road. Also known as Stony Creek Post. Abandoned during Pontiac's War. A stone monument is located at the North Star Elementary School. Stone bake ovens associated with the camp were located on Oven Run east of town, and still remained until the 1870's.

Edmund's Swamp Camp
(1758), Buckstown
A British redoubt and encampment on the Forbes Road.

Fort Dewart
(1758), Allegheny Township, Somerset County
A temporary British way station on the Forbes Road. A stone monument is located one-third mile north of US 30 on Breastwork Run, at the Bedford County line.

British Colonial Settlement Forts
(includes American settlement forts built before 1775)

Washington County:
John Allen's Fort (1773 - ?), Smith Township, along Raccoon Run (not Creek) and the border with Robinson Township.
Thomas Bayon's Blockhouse (1760's or 1770's - ?), Cross Creek Township, a simple log cabin.
Beckett's Blockhouse (1774 - ?), unknown location, near the Monongahela River (Union Township ?).
Capt. Samuel Beelor's (Sr.) Fort (1774 - 1789), Candor, a two-story house located about 100 yards southwest of Raccoon Church.
Beeman's Blockhouse (1774 - ?), West Finley Township, near Middle Wheeling Creek.
Cherry's Fort (1774 - ?), Mount Pleasant Township, in Cherry Valley. Three log cabins stockaded in a triangle.
Gabriel Coxe's Fort (1774 - 1780's), Peters Township, along Peters Creek.
John Doddridge's Blockhouse (1773 - 1780's), three miles west of West Middleton. Stockaded in 1774, replaced Teeter's Fort as the area defense.
Downey's Blockhouse (1774 - ?), Cross Creek Township
Dunn's Blockhouse (1774 - ?), Dunsfort
Enoch's Blockhouse (1770 - ?), Amwell Township
Foreman's Fort (1774 - ?), Canonsburg, on the south-side of Chartiers Creek. Also spelled Froman.
Hupp's Blockhouse (1769 - ?), East Bethlehem Township
Jackson's Fort (1) (1759 - ?), Fredericktown
Lamb's Blockhouse (1774 - 1780's), Hopewell Township
Demas Lindley's Fort (1773 - 1780's), near Prosperity
McFarland's Fort (2) (1772 - ?), Amwell Township, located along Ten Mile Creek.
Jacob Miller's (Sr.) Blockhouse (1770's - 1780's), Donegal Township, attacked by Shawnee in April 1782, killing Miller and John Hupp Sr..
Milliken's Fort (1772 - ?), Amwell Township, located along Ten Mile Creek.
William Norris' Blockhouse (1774 - ?), near Canonsburg, located along Chartiers Creek.
William Reynold's Blockhouse (1774 - 1779), near Cross Creek. Attacked by Indians in 1779, killing Reynold's wife and children.
Capt. Samuel Teeter's Fort (1773 - 1774), Independence Township. Replaced by Doddridge's Fort.
Robert (or Joseph) Vance's Fort (1774 - 1780's), near Atlasburg, one mile north of Cross Creek.
Alexander Wells' Fort (1773 - 1790's), near Studa
Jacob Wolf's Fort (1770's - 1780's), Buffalo Township, located along Wolf Run between Buffalo and Taylorstown.

Greene County:
Garard's Fort (1774 - ?), Garards Fort, may have actually been located a little further west of town.
Jackson's Fort (2) (1774 - ?), Waynesburg, built by same family as Jackson's Fort (1) in Washington County. A group of cabins palisaded in a square.
Ryerson's Fort (1774 - 1780's), Ryerson Station. Used by the VA state militia during the war.
Swan's and VanMeter's Fort (1773 - ?), Carmichaels, a family fort built by John Swan, Jess VanMeter, and Thomas Hughes, located on Swan's property.

Fayette County:
Ichabod Ashcraft's Blockhouse (1774 - ?), Georges Township, a two-story stockaded blockhouse near a spring at "Buffalo Pasture".
Henry Beeson's Fort (1774 - ?), Uniontown, a log blockhouse on the site of the present-day county jail.
Cassell's Blockhouse (1774 - ?), near Fayette City, just above the mouth of Little Redstone Creek. Also spelled Castle.
Conwell's Blockhouse (1774 - ?), near Merrittstown on the west-side of Dunlap Creek. Built by brothers Jehu and Capt. William Conwell.
John Craft's Blockhouse (1774 - ?), near Merrittstown, one mile northwest of town. Also known as Patterson's Blockhouse (3). The house survived until 1885.
Valentine Crawford's Blockhouse (1774 - ?), near Perryopolis, built by the brother of William.
Col. Thomas Gaddis' Blockhouse (1774 - ?), Georges Township
Lucas' Blockhouse (1774 - ?), Nicholson Township
John Mason's Blockhouse (1774 - ?), near Masontown. The house was moved within town in 1823.
James McCoy's Blockhouse (1774 - ?), South Union Township, a log cabin located about two miles north of Gaddis' Fort.
John Minteer's Fort (1774 - ?), Upper Tyrone Township, on the south-side of Jacobs Creek.
Fort Morris (2) (1771 - ?), Uniontown, used as a staging area by Virginia Governor Dunmore's colonial militia.
Isaac Pearse's Blockhouse (1774 - ?), North Union Township, four miles from Uniontown. Built by William and John Jones.
Shepherd's Fort (1774 - ?), Connellsville
John Swearingen's Fort (1774 - ?), Morris Crossroads

Westmoreland County:
Andrew Allen's Fort (1774 - ?), Fort Allen, near the present-day Zion Lutheran Church.
Byerly's Station (? - 1763), near Harrison City, on or near Bushy Run, abandoned during Pontiac's War.
Michael Kepple's Blockhouse (1770's - 1780's), near Greensburg, one and one-half miles north of town. A log blockhouse on a stone foundation. Still in use in 1782.
Philip Klingensmith's Blockhouse (1770's - 1781), near Jeanette, possibly in Penn Township, attacked and destroyed by Indians in July 1781. Originally settled in 1769.
Dr. David Marchand's Blockhouse (1774 - 1780's), Hempfield Township, four miles west of Greensburg near Millersdale on Little Sewickley Creek. A fortified house.
Gaspard Markle's Blockhouse / Station (1770 ? - 1780's), near West Newton, two miles east of town on Big Sewickley Creek.
Capt. Samuel Miller's Station (1774 - 1782), near Greensburg, about two miles northeast of town. Miller was killed in July 1778 at Hannastown. Attacked and destroyed by Indians in July 1782.
Fort (John) Palmer (1774 ? - ?), Fort Palmer. Attacked by Indians in 1777, but not captured.
John Shield's Fort (1774 - 1780's), near New Alexandria. Also known as Alexander Craig's Blockhouse after the war.
Fort Shippen (1774 - 1780's), near Latrobe, also known as Capt. John Proctor's Fort, a PA state militia post located on Twelve Mile Run about three miles west of town.
Nehemiah Stokely's Blockhouse (1770's), near Waltz's Mill, on Big Sewickley Creek. A two-story blockhouse.
Williams' Blockhouse (2) (1770's - ?), Donegal Township, located between Donegal and Stahlstown.

American Settlement Forts and/or

Washington County:
Beelor's Fort (2) (1778 - ?), Robinson Township, along Raccoon Creek between Murdocksville and Bavington.
Sebastian Burgett's Blockhouse (1780 - ?), Burgettstown. Attacked by Indians during the war. Used as a barn after the war when son Boston constructed a new house. Later burned down.
Campbell's Blockhouse (1790 - ?), near Good Intent, on Blockhouse Run.
Catfish Camp Station (1778 - ?), Washington. The town was named Catfish Camp from 1770 - 1781.
Matthew Dillow's Fort (1780 - 1782), Hanover Township, on Dilloe Run. Attacked by Indians in 1782, killing Dillow. The house was still in use in 1785.
James Dinsmore's Blockhouse (1794 - ?), Canton Township
Abraham Enlow's Blockhouse (1775 - ?), East Finley Township
Henry Hoagland's Blockhouse (1780 - ?), Smith Township
Col. James Marshel's Blockhouse (1770's), Cross Creek Township. Also spelled Marshall.
John McDonald's Blockhouse / Station (1777 ? - ?), McDonald. Also used by the local militia.
Rice's Fort (2) (1781 - ?), Donegal Township, on Dutch Fork Buffalo Creek, built by Abraham and Daniel Rice. A stockaded blockhouse and cabins attacked by Wyandots and Shawnees in September 1782.
Hercules Roney's Blockhouse (1779 ? - 1790's), near West Finley
Striker's Blockhouses (1770's), Buffalo Township, two blockhouses built 300 yards apart.
Taylor's Blockhouse (1770's), Taylorstown Station
Turner's Blockhouse (1770's), Robinson Township
Walker's Blockhouse (1770's), Donegal Township
Wallower's Blockhouse (1770's), Donegal Township
Col. David Williamson's Blockhouse (1776 - ?), near Taylorstown
Wilson's Blockhouse (3) (1770's), Mount Pleasant Township, 12 miles from the Ohio River.
Woodruff's Blockhouse (1770's), Amwell Township, southern part of township, built on an Indian burial mound.
Wright's Blockhouse (1782 - ?), East or West Finley Township

Fayette County:
Joseph Braybill's Blockhouse (1780's), Brownsville, one mile south of town.
Nicholson Riffle's Blockhouse (1779 - ?), Nicholson Township
Spark's Blockhouse (1774 - ?), Perry Township, on the south bank of the Youghiogheny River near Burn's Ford.

Westmoreland County:
Robert Barr's Fort (1777 - 1780's), Fairfield Township, east of Millwood. A stockaded house, originally built in 1769. Known as Gilson's Fort during or after the 1790's.
Adam Carnahan's Blockhouse (1776 - 1780's), Bell Point, attacked by Wyandots in August 1777, killing son John. Patriot forces assembled here in July 1781 for the Ohio Expedition.
Hannastown Fort (1775 - 1786 ?), Hannastown, garrisoned by 20 men and 40 women, held off an attack by 100 Senecas and 60 Canadians in July 1782. Also called Fort Reed (2). Used by the PA state militia. The settlement was initially founded in 1773. It was abandoned in 1786.
Fort Hand (1) (1777 - 1780's), Washington Township, across the Kiskiminetas River from Apollo (Armstrong County). Garrisoned by Patriot (Continental) troops. Attacked by British and Indians in April 1779.
Col. Archibald Lochry's Blockhouse (1781), Unity Township, used by the PA state militia. Lochry was later killed in July 1781 on the way to Wheeling, WVA. The long abandoned house was restored in 2002, located on the grounds of the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve near Youngstown.
McDowell's Blockhouse (2) (1770's), in or near Madison. Sometimes referred to as Thomas Hughes' Blockhouse, on whose land the house was built.
John McKibben's Blockhouse (1770's), Washington Township, near Fort Hand (1).
Col. John Pomroy's Blockhouse (1770's), Derry Township, one mile from Barr's Fort. Also spelled Pomeroy.
Fort Preservation (1777 - ?), Ligonier Township, a stockade near Laughlintown, built after the attack on Fort Palmer. Used by the PA state militia.
Reed's Station (4) (1783 ? - 1790's), Garver's Ferry near Dimit Run. Attacked by Indians in May 1792. The main house eroded away in the Allegheny River in 1840.
Rugh's Blockhouse (1778 - 1780's), Hempfield Township, two miles south of Greensburg. A fortified barn, used as a supply depot near the end of the war. Also spelled Rook or Ruch.
Christopher Waldhower's Fort (1770's - 1780's), unknown location, within 10 miles of Greensburg on or near the Old Forbes Road. Also spelled Walthour and Walthower. A stockaded blockhouse, attacked by Indians in 1782.
Richard Wallace's Fort (1774 - 1783 ?), Derry Township near Bairdstown. A two-story blockhouse also used by the state militia after 1779.
Major James Wilson's Blockhouse (1) (1770's), near New Derry, one mile northeast of town.

NEED MORE INFO:
Towns: Fort Hill in Upper Turkeyfoot Township, Somerset County; Garrison in Freeport Township, Greene County

Special thanks to Jim Geisler for providing information on early settlement forts and blockhouses.

Southeast Pennsylvania - page 1 | Northeast Pennsylvania - page 2 | Central Pennsylvania - page 3
Southern Pennsylvania I - page 4 | Southern Pennsylvania II - page 5 | Northwest Pennsylvania - page 7
Greater Pittsburgh - page 8