Fort Blair (Fort Scott) (Fort Scott, Kansas)
Fort Scott · Kansas · Civil War
History & Significance
Fort Blair, also known as Lunette Blair, was a Civil War-era blockhouse and earthwork lunette constructed in 1863 to fortify the southwestern approach to Fort Scott, Kansas, against Confederate raids. Fort Blair was enclosed by a rectangular wall of log palisades covered on the outside by earthworks, which in turn were surrounded by a wide, deep ditch, intended to be used by armed men and cannon in case the town and post were attacked by Confederate guerrillas or regular forces.
The blockhouse was built of sawed or thick boards covered with rough boards, with openings for rifles and small cannon and a wood shingle roof, with three gun ports on the second floor and one on the first. During General Sterling Price's October 1864 raid through Kansas and Missouri, Fort Blair was used to guard Fort Scott, though Price did not fire a shot when passing within sight of the post.
After Fort Scott closed as a military post in October 1865, the Fort Blair blockhouse alone survived, later being disassembled and moved at least twice. Lunette Blair is now located on Skubitz Plaza adjacent to Fort Scott National Historic Site, established by Congress on October 19, 1978.
Key Facts
Map
View larger map ↗ · © OpenStreetMap contributors
🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Two-story Civil War blockhouse with original gun ports
- Historic 24-pounder cannons on display
- Preserved defensive structure from Sterling Price's 1864 raid
- Located within Fort Scott National Historic Site grounds
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Blair_(Fort_Scott)
- https://grokipedia.com/page/fort_blair_fort_scott
- https://civilwaronthewesternborder.org/map/fort-blair
- https://legendsofkansas.com/fort-scott-kansas/
- https://www.nps.gov/fosc/
- https://www.battlefields.org/visit/heritage-sites/fort-scott-national-historic-site