Fort Deshler (Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania)

Whitehall Township, Lehigh County · Pennsylvania · French and Indian War, Pontiac's War

Quick BriefFort Deshler was a fortified stone blockhouse built in 1760 by Adam Deshler on Coplay Creek in Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania, to shelter settlers during French and Indian War era attacks. Though designed to accommodate soldiers, no evidence suggests it was ever formally garrisoned. The structure served primarily as Deshler's home and a refuge point during the 1763 frontier uprising, standing until its collapse around 1940.

History & Significance

Fort Deshler, located near Egypt, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, was a French and Indian War era frontier fort established in 1760 to protect settlers from Indian attacks. The fort was built by Adam Deshler, who was employed during the French and Indian War furnishing provisions for provincial forces.

The structure was a fortified stone blockhouse, 40 feet (12 m) long and 30 feet (9.1 m) wide, with walls 2.5 feet (0.76 m) thick, that also served as Deshler's home. Adjoining the main building was a second large wooden structure, used as barracks for 20 soldiers and for storing military supplies.

Despite its military design, there appears to be no evidence that the fort was either garrisoned with provincial troops or served any military purpose beyond functioning as a place of refuge and rendezvous for settlers of the region. The fort played a critical role during local disturbances; Fort Deshler, which stood near Route 145 at Chestnut Street, played a key role in the defense of settler-held lands during this battle, in which 23 settlers were killed in a 1763 uprising.

The fort remained in the Deshler family until 1899, when the building and its remaining 151 acres (0.61 km2; 0.24 sq mi) of property were sold to the Coplay Cement Company for $100,000. Fort Deshler was not preserved, and stood in ruins until it collapsed around 1940.