Fort Machault (Venango County, near Franklin, Pennsylvania)
Venango County, near Franklin · Pennsylvania · French and Indian War
History & Significance
One of four French forts designed to protect access to the Ohio Country and connections between its northern and southern colonies, Fort Machault occupied a site previously controlled by trader John Fraser. In August 1753, the French occupied Fraser's trading post and blacksmith forge; 75 French soldiers took over the cabin, which was then occupied by Philippe-Thomas Chabert de Joncaire.
Michel Maray de La Chauvignerie replaced Joncaire as officer in charge of constructing the fort in 1754. By April 1755, Governor General Vaudreuil described it as "a little stockaded fort at the mouth of the Rivière au Boeuf, merely to surround the storehouses which we are using as a supply post."
In December 1753, Major George Washington passed through the fort during his first expedition into the Ohio Country. Fort Machault was the last stop on the supply route from Canada to Fort Duquesne.
After the French abandoned Fort Duquesne in November 1758, they fell back to Fort Machault; however, the fall of Fort Niagara in summer 1759 made their position untenable, and they burned the post and retreated to Canada. The British built Fort Venango near the site in 1760.
Key Facts
Map
View larger map ↗ · © OpenStreetMap contributors
🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Historic site at confluence of French Creek and Allegheny River
- French and Indian War–era ruins and archaeological findings
- Interpretive markers explaining 1754–1759 French occupation
- Waterway landscape that controlled Great Lakes-to-Ohio River trade
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Machault
- https://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-87
- https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/blog/fort-pitt-museum-constructing-the-french-forts-of-the-ohio-country/
- https://franklinpa.gov/history
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Venango
Other Forts in Pennsylvania
See all forts in Pennsylvania →