Northwestern Virginia

Last Update: 27/SEPTEMBER/2007

Compiled by Pete Payette - Š2007 American Forts Network

Berryville Earthworks
(1864), Berryville
Union earthworks were located just northwest of town at VA 7 (Bus.) and Rt. 636 (High School Rd.) near Cooley School. No remains (?).

Fort Loudoun
(1756 - 1780), Winchester
This was the frontier headquarters of the Virginia colonial militia. It was an earthen and horizontal log square redoubt on stone foundations with four bastions and armed with 18 guns (out of 24 embrasures). Wooden barracks and Officers' quarters were within. Also known as Fort Washington early on. Construction was halted in 1758 after the fall of Fort DuQuesne in Pennsylvania. The guns were finally removed, save one, in 1775 to be used elsewhere. It remained a state militia supply depot and rendezvouse through the American Revolution. The earthworks of Fort Loudoun were still visible in 1838. The site was just north of the old town area, at present-day North Loudoun and Peyton Streets. Remnants of the northeast bastion are located at 420 North Loudoun Street, and remnants of the south bastion and magazine are at 410 North Loudoun Street. An interpretive center will be built at 419 North Loudoun Street, the site of the north bastion and well.

Nearby is the George Washington's Office Museum, a log and stone house built in 1748, located at Cork and Braddock Streets, where Washington supervised Fort Loudoun's construction. Two of Fort Loudoun's guns are on display here. Admission fee. The town was originally named Fredericktown until 1752.

Fort George (5)
(1780), Winchester
A POW stockade for British and Hessian prisoners on their way to Frederick Barracks, MD from Charlottesville, located on a hill behind the "Braddock Street" church.

Civil War Defenses of Winchester
(1861 - 1864), Winchester
Fort Collier (1861 - 1864), originally built as a CSA redoubt early in the war. Known as Battery No. 10 by the Union during the Second Battle of Winchester (June 1863). Abandoned by the CSA during the Third Battle of Winchester (September 1864). Located near US 11 and VA 764, north of town.
Star Fort (aka Battery No. 3) (1862 - 1864) (eight guns), originally built in 1862 by Union forces, but abandoned after the First Battle of Winchester (May 1862). This was later manned by CSA troops after Second Winchester, and was captured by the Union during Third Winchester. Well preserved, located just north of the city line on US 522 in Sunnyside.
Fort Milroy (aka Battery No. 2) (1862 - 1864), a Union 14-gun redoubt south of Star Fort. Originally named Fort Garibaldi by the Union in July 1862. Rebuilt and renamed Flag Fort by the Union in January 1863, then renamed again in May 1863. Renamed Fort Jackson (2) by the CSA after Second Winchester. Located on Fairmont Ave., now Shenandoah Valley Cooperative.
West Fort (2) (aka Battery No. 5) (1863), a Union three-gun lunette and redan west of Fort Milroy, south of US 522, along Apple Pie Ridge. It still exists in a wooded area (private property).
Bowers Hill Redoubt (1863), a CSA redoubt built during Second Winchester.

Other Union works in 1863 before Second Winchester:
Battery No. 1 a six-gun lunette south of Fort Milroy, Battery No. 4 a six-gun lunette north of Star Fort, Battery No. 6 a three-gun lunette north of West Fort, Battery No. 7 an eight-gun lunette and redan north of Battery 6, Battery No. 8 between Battery 7 and Star Fort, and Battery No. 9 (unknown location). No remains.

Of interest nearby is Stonewall Jackson's Headquarters Museum. Admission fee.

Opequon Creek Forts
(1864), near Bartonville
Three Union redoubts forming part of the southern defenses of Winchester and Kernstown. One work was named Fort Ricketts.

Banks' Fort
(1862, 1864), Strasburg
A Union hilltop redoubt during the 1862 Shenandoah Valley Campaign, named for Union Major General Nathan Banks. A water tower has been built on the site.

Nearby is the Stonewall Jackson Museum at Hupp's Hill, located by Confederate earthworks from the Third Battle of Winchester (1864). Admission fee. Also of interest here is Crystal Caverns, which was used in the Civil War for ammunition storage.

Fort Windham Rocks
(Shenandoah National Park)
(unknown), near Compton Gap
A natural rock formation on Carson Mountain, off of Skyline Drive at mile 10.4, at 2580 feet elevation. Access by the Dickey Ridge Trail via the Appalachian Trail. Origin of name unknown.

Miley Archaeological Site
(900 - 1600), near Maurertown
A Late Woodland Period Indian palisaded village in the Seven Bends area. Site excavated in 1964.

Quicksburg Archaeological Site
(900 - 1600), Quicksburg
A Late Woodland Period Indian palisaded village.

Camp Holly
(1812), Rockingham County
A VA state militia training camp. Undetermined location.

Camp Hoover
(Shenandoah National Park)
(1929 - 1939/present), near Big Meadows
President Herbert Hoover's summer retreat located at the headwaters of the Rapidan River, at about 2500 feet elevation. Also referred to as Camp Rapidan. The main camp (President's Camp) was on 164 acres of land personally bought by Hoover in 1929, surrounded by about 2000 acres leased by him. The U.S. Marines built an access road from Criglersville and 13 wood-frame structures at the camp, and provided a 50-man guard detail for the President on all his visits. The Marines, generally 150-200 men during the summer season, and only 12 or so during winter months, were bivouaced at Marine Camp one mile downriver from the main camp. Originally a tent city with only three frame buildings, several additional frame structures were built in the 1930's. The Marines left for good in 1939, and their camp was demolished in 1944. A third camp (Cabinet Camp), consisting of six frame buildings, was built in 1930 another mile further downriver on private land for visiting Cabinet members and other government officials. The Cabinet Camp was purchased privately in 1953, now within the state's Rapidan Wildlife Management Area. President Hoover donated his land to the National Park Service in 1933, for the future use of government officials. The camp went unused between 1941 and 1949. The Boy Scouts used the site from 1949 to 1959, and had built an additional 14 structures. All buildings but three were demolished in 1960. The three restored buildings are still often rented by government officials, although no sitting president, except President Carter in 1979, ever used the camp after Hoover. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1988. The buildings are closed to the public except for one weekend every August (Hoover Days), with a fee-based shuttle service from the Big Meadows Visitor Center. The grounds are open to hikers year-round. Admission fee to park.

Rockfish Gap Camp
(1781), near Afton
A local militia mobilization camp for the surrounding counties as the British Army was making its way into Virginia. Exact location undetermined.

Fort Edward Johnson
(1862 - 1864), near Headwaters
A CSA fortified camp at the crest of Shenandoah Mountain. Remnants of infantry trenches and a one-gun battery are located on a trail off of US 250 in the George Washington National Forest. Site maintained by the U.S. Forest Service.

Fort Dinwiddie
(1754 - 1760's, 1770's - 1789), near Bacova
A stockaded settlers' house known as William Warwick's Fort, and also as Capt. Peter Hogg's Fort (2) or Col. William Byrd's Fort, used by the VA colonial militia. Located on the Jackson River north of town. Still in use during the American Revolution, it was torn down in 1805.

Settler and Militia Forts of Western Virginia
Information on French and Indian War forts of the Potomac River basin was gathered from "Frontier Forts along the Potomac and its Tributaries" by William H. Ansel, 1984, Fort Pearsall Press.
Additional information gathered from "The Virginia Frontier: 1754 - 1763" by Louis K. Koontz, 1925, Johns Hopkins Press (reprint 2005, Heritage Books, Inc.)

Winchester City:
Abraham Hollingsworth's Fort (1735 - 1755 ?), a settlers' stockaded log house. His son Isaac built Abram's Delight, a stone house named after the father, adjacent to the site in 1754. Located at 1340 South Pleasant Valley Road. Admission fee.

Frederick County:
near Albin: Fort Pearis (aka Capt. Robert Paris' Fort) (1755 - 1760's), a settlers' and VA colonial militia fort (after 1756) located at the head of Parish Run near the junction of Indian Hollow Road and Dicks Hollow Road.
Hayfield: Major Robert White's Fort (1755 - 1764), a settlers' stockaded house on the west-side of Hogue Creek near the mouth of White's Run that was first built in the 1740's. It was also known as White Hall. It was attacked by Delaware Indians in 1764. Site near Routes 615 and 600.
Gore: Capt. Jeremiah Smith's Fort (1755 - 1760's), a settlers' stockaded house used as a supply depot for the VA colonial militia. Located on the west bank of Back Creek at Route 750, the old trace for the Fort Loudoun Road.
near Opequon: Robert Glass' Fort (aka Long Meadows Fort (1755 - 1760's), a stockaded settlers' fort on the north-side of the bend of Opequon Creek west of Jones Road.
near Opequon: Joseph Colvill's Fort (aka Fort Colvin) (1755 - 1760's), a settlers' stone springhouse on the east-side of Opequon Creek located one-half mile south of Long Meadows Fort, near the 90-degree bend of Jones Road. An archaeological study was done in 2003.
near Marlboro: Paul Froman's Fort (1755 - 1760's), a stockaded stone house built in 1751, located on Cedar Creek at Froman's Run.
Marlboro: Capt. Lewis Stephens' Fort (1756 - 1760's), a stockaded house on Cedar Creek on the north-side of Fawcett's Run. Garrisoned by the VA colonial militia in 1757.
Stephens City: Col. John Hite's Fort (1755 - 1760's), ruins of a settlers' stone house (Springdale) originally built in 1753.
Stephens City: Jacob Crisman's Fort (1755 - 1760's), a stone house built in 1751, located two miles south of town. The town was formed as Stephensburgh in 1758.
near Middletown: John Nisewanger's Fort (aka Old Stone Fort) (1756 - 1760's), a stone house used as a refuge for several families after the Indian massacre at White's Fort in 1764. Still existing, it is a small whitewashed hexagonal stone house on Middle Marsh Run northwest of town, below Chapel Road.
unknown location: Helm's Fort (1750's), a settlers' house.

Shenandoah County:
near Wheatfield: Benjamin Fry's Fort (1755 - 1760's) a settlers' stockaded house (built 1744) on Cedar Creek at Moores Ford north of town. Still exists.
near Cedar Creek: George Bowman's Fort aka Harmony Hall (1755 - 1760's), a stockaded stone house built in 1751, still exists. Located on the west-side of Cedar Creek south of the US 11 bridge, about 3.5 miles from Nisewanger's Fort and 5.3 miles from Stephens' Fort (straight-line).
Strasburg: Peter Hupp's Fort (1755 - 1760's), a stone house that was used as a fort during Indian attacks. Still exists, located on the west-side of US 11 on the north-side of town. Addition added 1956. Located three miles southwest of Bowman's Fort.
Fort Valley: Powell's Fort (1740's ?), unknown location, about 15 miles (?) from Painter's Fort. The valley takes it's name from this supposed outlaw settler fort.
Woodstock: Jacob Miller's Fort (1756 - 1760's) aka Woodstock Fort, a settlers' fort. Also spelled Mueller. Possibly attacked by Indians in 1766. The town was founded in 1761, previously known as Millerstown.
St. Davids Church or Carmel: George Keller's Fort (1756 - 1770's), a settlers' fort located on Passage Creek. It was used by the VA colonial militia.
Lantz Mills: Jacob Wolfe's Fort (1755 - 1760's), a settlers' stockaded blockhouse on Stony Creek.
*Hamburg: George Painter's Fort (1750's - 1758), a log house with a deep vaulted stone cellar, located at the head of Painter Run. It was attacked and destroyed by Indians.
near Quicksburg: Jacob Holman's Fort (1750's - 1760's), a settlers' fort at the mouth of Holman's Creek.

Page County:
*Springfield: Rev. John Rhodes' (or Rodes) Fort (1760's), a settlers' log house over a vaulted stone cellar, located on the west side of the South Fork Shenandoah River. Attacked by Indians in 1766, all were killed. The house was destroyed by fire in 1990.
Springfield: Charles Keyser's (Sr.) Fort (1765), a settlers' home on the west bank of the river.
*Springfield: Michael Rinehart's Fort (1750's), a settlers' home with a vaulted stone cellar, located on the west bank of the river near Keyser's (Sr.) Fort. Later known as Charles Keyser's (Jr.) Fort sometime after 1765.
*Springfield: Samuel Stover's Fort (1760), a settlers' stone house with a vaulted stone cellar, located on Sandy Hook directly opposite from Rhodes' Fort. Still exists.
Springfield: Heiston's Fort (1750's), a settlers' home near Bixley's (Bixlers) Ferry.
*Hamburg: Martin Kauffman's Fort aka White House (1760), a white-washed stucco house with a vaulted stone cellar. Still exists.
*Salem: Jacob Strickler's Fort aka Fort Egypt (1758), a log house with a vaulted stone cellar located at Egypt Bend, opposite Hamburg. Still exists.
Salem: Fort Massanutten aka Locust Grove (1750's), a settlers' fort on the west bank of the river.
*Salem: Paul Long's (or Lung) Fort (1750's), a settlers' house with a vaulted stone cellar, located on the west bank of the river.
*Leaksville: Philip Long's (or Lung) Fort (1750's), a stone house with a vaulted stone cellar. Still exists. Located on the east bank of the river.
unknown location: Burner's Fort (1750's), a settlers' home near Ruffner's Ferry (location ?). Possibly near Burner Bottom near the Warren County line.

*(NOTE: the eight houses listed above with vaulted stone cooling cellars, called "Gewölbekeller", were mistakenly believed by 19th-century historians to have been built as "forts" by their owners, based on their defensive appearance. Modern archaeology has shown otherwise. Traditionally called "forts", they are still included in listings such as this. An excellent example that is open for public tours is the 1758 Schifferstadt House - Architectural Museum located at 1100 Rosemont Ave. in Frederick, Maryland.)

Rockingham County:
Coote's Store: Brock's Gap Fort (1756 - 1760's), a VA colonial militia fort. May have been known as Captain James Dunlap's Fort (or Dunlop) or Captain Peter Hogg's Fort (1).
Turleytown: Fort Turley (unknown).
Green Mount: Fort Lynne (unknown).
Dayton: Capt. Daniel Harrison's Fort (aka Fort Harrison (1)) (1755 - 1760's), a stockaded stone house that served as a refuge for settlers from Indian attacks. Built in 1748, addition added 1856. It was restored in the 1980's, and is operated as a museum by the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society.
Port Republic: John Madison's Fort (1755 - 1760's), a stockaded stone house, also known as Madison Hall.

Augusta County:
Fort Defiance: Augusta Stone Church Fort (1755 - 1760's), a stone church built in 1749 that was stockaded for the protection of settlers. Still exists. It is uncertain if this is the Fort Defiance that the town is named for.

Staunton City:
Fort Lewis (2) also known as Bellefont (1755- 1760's), a stone house built by John Lewis in 1732, later palisaded. It was in use by the VA colonial militia. Site located just north of US 11 and VA 254. John Lewis was the father of Andrew and Charles.

Highland County:
near Doe Hill: Fort Harper (1750's) aka Matthew Harper's Fort, used by the VA colonial militia, garrisoned by 40 men, located on the Bullpasture River north of McDowell.
near Clover Creek: Fort George (4) (1757), an 80-square-foot log fort on the Bullpasture River, built by the VA colonial militia. Also known as William Estill's Fort and/or Wallace Austin's Fort. Also referred to as Clover Creek Fort and Fort Nelson (1). Trace still remains.
near Vanderpool: Fort Miller aka Capt. John Miller's Fort (1756 - 1760's), used by the VA colonial militia, garrisoned by 50 men, located on the Jackson River.

Bath County:
near Bolar: Christy's Fort (1756 - 1760's), built by the VA colonial militia, garrisoned by 40 men, located on the Jackson River about 15 miles from Fort Dinwiddie.
Fort Lewis: Fort Lewis (1) (1756 - 1763), a small stockade first known as Wilson's Fort, used by the VA colonial militia, located on the Cowpasture River. Also known as Capt. Charles Lewis' Hog Pen, and later as Fort Lewis Plantation. The fort's remains were still evident after 1900. The Lewis House still stands. Charles Lewis was the brother of Andrew Lewis.
near Millboro Springs: Fort Dickinson (or Dickenson's Fort) (1756 - 1760's), built by the VA colonial militia, garrisoned by 40 men, attacked by Indians in 1756 and 1757. Located on the Cowpasture River southwest of town.

Alleghany County:
Falling Spring: Fort Breckenridge (1) (or Brackenridge) (1756 - 1763), built by the VA colonial militia, garrisoned by 50 men, it survived an attack by Shawnee Indians during Pontiac's War in 1763. Also known as Fort Mann.
near Earlehurst: Carpenter's Fort (1) (1750's), a settlers' fortified house located on Snake Run. Fort Carpenter Cemetery is here.

Covington City:
Fort Young (1756 - 1763), used by the VA colonial militia. A relief force that was sent to Fort Breckenridge in 1763 was ambushed by Indians. The stockade and blockhouses have been reconstructed in a city park on West Liberty Street near the original fort site.

Rockbridge County:
near Steele's Tavern: Steele's Fort (1756 - 1763), a stone house used as a refuge for settlers. Still exists. The Kerr Creek Massacre took place 15 miles southwest of here in 1763. (info provided by John Maas)

NEED MORE INFO: Fort Braddock and Old Fort in Winchester. Fort Run in Rockingham County near Timberville.