Old Fort Western

America's Oldest Surviving Wooden Fort

I recently visited Fort Western on a sunny afternoon in April. My photographer and I were in Augusta for a photo shoot at a new listing nearby the historic Augusta Riverfront and Fort.  It was an unofficial visit, as the both the Fort and Museum were not yet opened for the summer visitors.  We walked around the wooden stockade fences catching glimpses through the post openings of the fort yard and envisioning what it would have looked like for 1750’s soldiers garrisoned at the fort or that of a trapper trading furs. We saw fire pits and areas for the gardens, both sheltered from any attacks behind the massive wooden walls. You also saw how small the main building was being flanked by block houses 24 feet square and watch boxes 12 feet square guarding opposite corners. Hard to imagine that this was the center of commerce for what would become Augusta. 

Growing up in Gardiner, Old Fort Western was a standard destination for school field trips and girl scouting adventures. It was a nearby tourist attraction, easy to access and affordable. As a child who was obsessed with the American Revolution (seriously, I had a crush on George Washington) any visit to the fort was a big deal. Built in 1754 as a fortified Trading Post, during the French and Indian War, the fort was never directly attacked. Perfectly positioned on the Kennebec River, it was more trading post than fort used to promote settlement in the area. 

Old Fort Western was the starting point for Benedict Arnold’s expedition march to Quebec in 1775. Aaron Burr of “Hamilton” fame was a guest at the fort along with Arnold. Old Fort Western was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969 and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1973. America’s oldest surviving wooden fort, Old Fort Western is now maintained as a museum and is open to the public from June - October. 

It was fun to share a new adventure with my friend who grew up “from away”. The Fort would have been the site of many birthday celebrations last year for the State of Maine. Hopefully, this summer it will have the opportunity to host those commemorative celebrations.  For me, as a child always with my nose in a nonfiction history book, it couldn’t have been any better to have this piece of history in my backyard.