Fort William Henry (Pemaquid Beach, Maine)
Encyclopedia
The Fort William Henry is located in the village of New Harbor
in the town of Bristol
, Maine
. The fort was the largest in New England. The fort was originally built in 1692 but destroyed four years later by New France in the Siege of Pemaquid (1696)
. The fort was rebuilt in 1908. The fort was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on December 1, 1969. Fort William Henry is now operated as a museum about the fort's history.
Fort William Henry is part of the Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site
, which also includes the archaeological excavations of 17th and 18th century village buildings and a museum with excavated artifacts found on the site, including musket
balls, coins, pottery and early hardware.
was an Acadian
settlement, which marked the southern boundary of Acadia
.) Massachusetts government used one third of its budget to build the fort.
Construction of the fort was ordered by Massachusetts Governor Sir William Phips
and cost £20,000 to build. The English colonial militia leader Benjamin Church assisted in the construction. The fort was built with walls that were 10 to 22 feet in height and a stone bastion which was 29 feet in height. The fort was armed with 20 cannon and a garrison of 60 soldiers.
The fort was attacked by a combined force of French and Native Americans in the Siege of Pemaquid (1696)
. The English were forced to surrender the fort and abandon the Pemaquid area. Benjamin Church avenged the destruction of the fort with the Raid on Chignecto (1696)
in Acadia
.
New Harbor, Maine
New Harbor is a small coastal village in the town of Bristol, in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. It is the home of Pemaquid Lighthouse and Fort William Henry....
in the town of Bristol
Bristol, Maine
Bristol is a town in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,644 at the 2000 census. A fishing and resort area, Bristol includes the villages of New Harbor, Pemaquid, Round Pond, Bristol Mills and Chamberlain. It includes the Pemaquid Archeological Site, a U.S. National...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. The fort was the largest in New England. The fort was originally built in 1692 but destroyed four years later by New France in the Siege of Pemaquid (1696)
Siege of Pemaquid (1696)
The Siege of Pemaquid occurred during King William's War when French and Native forces from New France attacked the English settlement at Pemaquid , a community on the border with Acadia. The siege was led by Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville and Jean-Vincent d'Abbadie de Saint-Castin between August...
. The fort was rebuilt in 1908. The fort was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on December 1, 1969. Fort William Henry is now operated as a museum about the fort's history.
Fort William Henry is part of the Colonial Pemaquid State Historic Site
Pemaquid Archeological Site
Pemaquid Archeological Site, also known as Pemaquid Restoration and Museum or ME 058-1, is an archeological site and park near or at Pemaquid Beach in Bristol, Maine....
, which also includes the archaeological excavations of 17th and 18th century village buildings and a museum with excavated artifacts found on the site, including musket
Musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....
balls, coins, pottery and early hardware.
History
Fort William Henry was built in 1692, and was constructed by the English to defend against the French and Native Americans. An earlier fort called Fort Charles had been captured by the French and their Native Americans allies. The English regained their authority over the region by building Fort William Henry. The English built Fort William Henry as a fortress to protect the northern boundary of New England. (Castine, MaineCastine, Maine
Castine is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States and was once the capital of Acadia . The population was 1,343 at the 2000 census. Castine is the home of Maine Maritime Academy, a four-year institution that graduates officers and engineers for the United States Merchant Marine and marine...
was an Acadian
Acadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
settlement, which marked the southern boundary of Acadia
Acadia
Acadia was the name given to lands in a portion of the French colonial empire of New France, in northeastern North America that included parts of eastern Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and modern-day Maine. At the end of the 16th century, France claimed territory stretching as far south as...
.) Massachusetts government used one third of its budget to build the fort.
Construction of the fort was ordered by Massachusetts Governor Sir William Phips
William Phips
Sir William Phips was a shipwright, ship's captain, treasure hunter, military leader, and the first royally-appointed governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay....
and cost £20,000 to build. The English colonial militia leader Benjamin Church assisted in the construction. The fort was built with walls that were 10 to 22 feet in height and a stone bastion which was 29 feet in height. The fort was armed with 20 cannon and a garrison of 60 soldiers.
The fort was attacked by a combined force of French and Native Americans in the Siege of Pemaquid (1696)
Siege of Pemaquid (1696)
The Siege of Pemaquid occurred during King William's War when French and Native forces from New France attacked the English settlement at Pemaquid , a community on the border with Acadia. The siege was led by Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville and Jean-Vincent d'Abbadie de Saint-Castin between August...
. The English were forced to surrender the fort and abandon the Pemaquid area. Benjamin Church avenged the destruction of the fort with the Raid on Chignecto (1696)
Raid on Chignecto (1696)
The Raid on Chignecto occurred during King Williams War when New England forces from Boston attacked the Isthmus of Chignecto, Acadia in present-day Nova Scotia. The raid was in retaliation for the French and Indian Siege of Pemaquid at present day Bristol, Maine. In the English Province of...
in Acadia
Acadia
Acadia was the name given to lands in a portion of the French colonial empire of New France, in northeastern North America that included parts of eastern Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and modern-day Maine. At the end of the 16th century, France claimed territory stretching as far south as...
.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Lincoln County, MaineNational Register of Historic Places listings in Lincoln County, MaineThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Lincoln County, Maine.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Lincoln County, Maine, United States...
- Friends of Colonial Pemaquid
- maine historic sites.- colonial-pemaquid-state-historic-site- ft-william-henry