Fort Dorchester (1)

Fort Dorchester (1) (1757-1781) - First established about 1757 during the French & Indian War by colonists in the old colonial town of Dorchester now located in present day Summerville, Dorchester County, South Carolina. Abandoned as a military fortification about 1781.

Fort Dorchester Marker	Fort Dorchester Interior and Magazine Ruins
Ashley River at Fort Dorchester

Fort Dorchester (1) History

Fort Dorchester Half Bastion

The old town of Dorchester was established in 1695 by Puritians from Massachusetts Bay. It became an important trading post and port until trade with Britain ended as a result of the Revolutionary War, by 1811 the town was abandoned.

Fort Dorchester was constructed at the southwestern end of the town about 1757 during the French & Indian War as a strong tabby built fortification on the Ashley River. The fort structure had, at it's center, a powder magazine and that was surrounded with an eight foot tall tabby wall. In each corner of the fort was a half bastion. As the French & Indian War came to a close and the Revolutionary War began the fort was upgraded and garrisoned by both the British and the American revolutionaries. The fort changed hands at least three times during the Revolutionary War and was finally recaptured by American forces under General Nathanael Greene in December 1781.

Current Status

Part of Old Fort Dorchester State Historical Park, Summerville, Dorchester County, South Carolina. The walls and some remains of the powder magazine can seen at the state park.

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Location: Old Fort Dorchester State Historical Park, Dorchester County, South Carolina. Maps & Images Lat: 32.9479501 Long: -80.1703713 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 23'

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 712

Links:

• North American Forts - Fort Dorchester
• Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site
• Old Dorchester

Visited: 13 Mar 2012

Fort Dorchester (1) Picture Gallery

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