Fort Malden
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Fort Malden (1796-1858) - A British colonial fort established in 1796 as Fort Amherstburg by Lieutenant Robert Cooper, Royal Engineers, in present day Amherstburg, Essex County, Ontario, Canada. Captured by the Americans during the War of 1812 and returned to the British after the war. Renamed Fort Malden in 1819 by the British. Abandoned in 1858.
History   Part of the Harbor Defense of Amherstburg. Built as an earthworks star fort with four bastions and a central blockhouse. The fort provided additional protection for the nearby Amherstburg Navy Yard. The fort was captured and repaired by the Americans during the War of 1812 after being abandoned and burned by the British garrison. At the end of the war the British regarrisoned the post, rebuilt and renamed it Fort Malden. The fort was again rebuilt in 1838 but without a blockhouse. The British garrison left in 1851 and it was placed in the hands of retired soldiers who occupied it until 1858. From 1858 to 1870 the fort was a lunatic asylum. Later the property fell into private hands until it became a National Historic Site of Canada in 1937.
Current Status Fort Malden National Historic Site in Amherstburg, Essex County, Ontario, Canada. Earthworks and a restored stone barracks. Period cannons and carriages on display.
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Visited: 16 Aug 2013
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