     
Fort Frederick State Park
 Fort Frederick State Park is located near the Potomac
River off Interstate 70 at Big Pool, Maryland. The fort was constructed in 1756 by the colony of Maryland under the supervision of Gov. Horation Sharpe. Inside a Barracks buildings is a display telling the story of Fort Fredeick from the time of its The fields and forest that surround
the fort make a very realistic site for staging reenactments of French
and Other events include the Grand Encampment, Children's Days, Muskets of Maryland, Refugee-Artillery Day and the Ghost Walk. See the "Calendar" page for dates of these events.
The walls of the fort
Directions to fort: off Interstate 70 twelve miles west of Hagerstown,
For the Fort Frederick web page, Click here To see what it is like to visit Fort Frederick, Click here. For the Friends of Fort Frederick, click here. © 2001 Col. Washington's
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The construction of the walls and bastions was of stone rather than the more common timber and earth construction of the time. The fort was never attacked, but it served as an important supply base especially during the Forbes campaign of 1758. It was reactivated during Pontiac's War in 1763. During the Revolutionary War it was used to house prisoners from the battles of Saratoga and Yorktown.
construction in 1756 through its Civil War service to its reconstruction. At the park Visitor Center there is a display and video presentation about the site's history. There are costumed interpreters available to offer insights into life at the fort during colonial times.
Indian War battles. Each summer the Fort hosts a series of wonderful period events beginning with the Market Fair in April. At the fair are displayed a vast array of accouterments, reenactment supplies and colonial reproductions for sale.
make a wonderful backdrop for events and period interpretation. The walls were restored in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps after the state of Maryland purchased the deteriorating site in 1922. In 1975 the barracks buildings were restored, and plans call for reconstruction of the central Governor's House in time for the Fort's 250th Anniversary in 2006. A modern unimproved campground is located in the park by the river.
