Fort New Gloucester

Fort New Gloucester (1754-1760) - A British colonial Fort (blockhouse) established in 1754 as a defense against hostile Indians near New Gloucester, Cumberland County, Maine. Named Fort New Gloucester after the location. Abandoned as a fortification in 1760 and adapted to other uses, sold in 1787. Assigned Location ID ME00084. History The settlement of New Gloucester was begun 1739. The families arrived in the fall of 1742 but were sent away by the Governor of the province five years later to prevent attacks by the French and their Indian allies. Settlers returned during the fall of 1753 and they erected the blockhouse that was Fort New Gloucester in the following spring. The blockhouse was erected on the south side of the Gray road (now Gloucester Hill Road) just southwest of the town center. It was built with hewn timber and was armed with two swivel guns. Over the years it saw service as a home, a fort and a church. In July 1754, James Proctor was sent with six men to garrison the fort. That same year the fort was attacked by hostile Indians who captured two of the men and killed and scalped a third. Up to 1760, nearly all the settlers had lived in the blockhouse but with the arrival of peace they began to build log houses on their cleared lands and new families started arriving. In 1787 the Fort was sold for a mere seven bushels of corn. Current Status There is a small park at 70 Gloucester Hill Road south of town. It appears to have the Fort New Gloucester stone monument and a small replica of the blockhouse. Awaiting more information. {"selectable":false,"height":"-500","width":"-500"} Location: 70 Gloucester Hill Road, New Gloucester, Cumberland County, Maine. Maps & Images Lat: 43.95906 Long: -70.28471 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 300' GPS Locations: 43.95906, -70.28471 Fort New Gloucester See Also: 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 369. Mitchell, Daggett, Weston and Reed, Compilers, The Gray and New Gloucester Register, 1905, H.E. Mitchell Publisher, (Pdf) pages 26-29. Links: North American Forts - Fort New Gloucester Visited: No