This article is a list of forts in

Washington County, Pennsylvania Washington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 209,349. Its county seat is Washington. Washington County is part of the Pittsburgh, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county i ...

. During the colonial era and the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

was on the

American Frontier The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of United States territorial acquisitions, American expansion in mainland North Amer ...

. The forts provided protection for settlers from attacks by

Indians Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

who already lived in the area.

Doddridge's Fort

Doddridge's Fort was a series of

stockade A stockade is an enclosure of palisades and tall walls, made of logs placed side by side vertically, with the tops sharpened as a defensive wall. Etymology ''Stockade'' is derived from the French word ''estocade''. The French word was derived ...

log cabin A log cabin is a small log house, especially a less finished or less architecturally sophisticated structure. Log cabins have an ancient history in Europe, and in America are often associated with first generation home building by settlers. Eur ...

s in

. It was built c. 1773 by John Doddridge as a refuge for settlers in area, which was then the

American frontier The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of United States territorial acquisitions, American expansion in mainland North Amer ...

. The fort was located in present-day

Independence Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania Independence Township is a township in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,557 at the 2010 census. History Independence Township was originally a part of Hopewell Township for the first almost seventy-five year ...

. The attack on Doddridge's Fort was recorded in historian's

Samuel Kercheval Samuel Kercheval (March 1767 in Frederick County, Virginia – 14 November 1845 in Middletown, Virginia) was a Virginia lawyer and author. His ''A History of the Valley of Virginia'' (1st edition, 1833) provides important primary information on the ...

1883 history ''A History of the Valley of Virginia''. The fort was a frequent stop for Methodist circuit riders, including Francis Asbury. It was also the childhood home of priest-physician Joseph Doddridge, author of the widely cited ''Notes on the Settlement and Indian Wars of the Western Parts of Virginia and Pennsylvania,'' and his brother Philip Doddridge, a leading advocate for democratization on behalf of western Virginians. On May 28, 1947, the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission erected a historical marker at Pa. 844 west of Pa. 231 at Sugar Run Road, west of

West Middletown, Pennsylvania West Middletown is a borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 109 at the 2020 census. History The West Middletown Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. Geography W ...

, noting the importance of Doddridge's Fort to the history of the commonwealth. The actual location of the fort was north of the marker. In 2003, plans were developed for the Washington County Historical Society to create a replica of Doddridge's Fort at Cross Creek County Park. The facility was to have been known as The Washington County Frontier Experience Center.

Lindley's Fort

Lindley's Fort was a blockhouse established by frontier settler Demas Lindley near Ten Mile Creek in what is now the village of

Prosperity Prosperity is the flourishing, thriving, good fortune and successful social status. Prosperity often produces profuse wealth including other factors which can be profusely wealthy in all degrees, such as happiness and health. Competing notion ...

in Morris Township, Washington County. County historian Alfred Creigh described it as "one of the strongest forts in the western country, because it most exposed to the hostile incursions of the savage inhabitants." Frontier settlers erected additional cabins near the fort as temporary homes during times of increased danger in order to easily retreat with the fort's walls. In 2011, Lindley's Fort became the subject of dispute. Archaeologists and local historians expressed concern that natural gas extraction operator Range Resources planned to construct a drilling pad access road through the historic site.

Miller's Blockhouse

Miller's Blockhouse was a

blockhouse A blockhouse is a small fortification, usually consisting of one or more rooms with loopholes, allowing its defenders to fire in various directions. It is usually an isolated fort in the form of a single building, serving as a defensive stro ...

built in about 1780 by Jacob Miller, Sr., a pioneer in

in present-day

. The fort served to protect settlers in the Dutch Fork area from

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

attacks. On March 31, 1782, the fort was attacked, and

Ann Hupp Anne Rowe Hupp (1757 – June 26, 1823) was an American frontierswoman of the Buffalo Creek Valley in Washington County, Pennsylvania. She led the defense of a small, isolated fort, Miller's Blockhouse, against a Shawnee The Shawnee are an ...

led a heroic defense. On Wednesday, May 28, 1947, the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission erected a historical marker on

U.S. 40 U.S. Route 40 or U.S. Highway 40 (US 40), also known as the Main Street of America, is a major east–west United States Highway traveling across the United States from the Mountain States to the Mid-Atlantic States. As with most routes wh ...

, west of Claysville, noting the importance of Miller's Blockhouse to the history of

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. The actual site of the blockhouse is north.

Rice's Fort

Rice's Fort was a fortified

in present-day

. During the

, it was built by Abraham Rice along Buffalo Creek. In September 1782, the occupants successfully held off a siege

. The attack on Rice's Fort was recorded in historian's

1883 history ''A History of the Valley of Virginia''. In 1973, the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission erected a historical marker at

at Lake Road, west of Claysville, noting the importance of Rice's Fort to the history of

Wolff's Fort

Wolff's Fort was a

log house A log house, or log building, is a structure built with horizontal logs interlocked at the corners by notching. Logs may be round, squared or hewn to other shapes, either handcrafted or milled. The term " log cabin" generally refers to a sm ...

built in about 1780 by Jacob Wolfe. The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission describes it as "one of the most important forts in the area." On May 28, 1947, the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission erected a historical marker at

, southwest of

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

, noting the importance of Wolff's Fort to the history of

References

* * {{reflist Pennsylvania, Washington County Colonial forts in Pennsylvania Forts in Washington County