Fort Shirley (1)

Fort Shirley (1) (1744-1754) - Established in 1744 by Captain William Williams and the soldiers under his command in North Heath, Franklin County, Massachusetts. Named after Royal Governor William Shirley. Abandoned in 1754.

King George's War (1744-1748)

Construction began in July-August 1744 at the direction of Governor Shirley and was completed in October 1744. The fort was to be 60 feet square with 11 foot wide houses and mounts 12 foot square and 7 feet high.

This fort was one of a line of forts along the northwest corner of Massachusetts built during King George's War and it was the first headquarters for this line of forts.

French & Indian War (1754-1763)

Abandoned at the beginning of the war as indefensible.

Current Status

Marker established in 1901, archeological excavation in 1974.

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Location: North Heath, Franklin County, Massachusetts. Map point approximate. Maps & Images Lat: 42.736194 Long: -72.8537079 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 1,591'

Sources:

• Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 410

Links:

• North American Forts - Fort Shirley
• Google Books - The Line of Forts

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