Fort Western

On the eastern bank of the Kennebec River in Augusta stands the country’s oldest surviving wooden fort, built in 1754 as a fortified fur-trading post. During the American Revolutionary War, Fort Western played a prominent role in General Benedict Arnold's attempted attack on Quebec. In September 1775, the Fort served as the staging area for Arnold and his 1,100 soldiers as they prepared their assault. Arnold stayed at Captain James Howard's Great House upriver from the Fort while his officers, Daniel Morgan and Aaron Burr, stayed with his son, William, in the old garrison.