Fort Morris (Pennsylvania) (Shippensburg, Pennsylvania)

Shippensburg · Pennsylvania · French and Indian War

Quick BriefFort Morris was a stockaded fortification built in Shippensburg in response to escalating raids following General Braddock's defeat in 1755. Though never attacked, it served as a supply depot during the French and Indian War and was later dismantled after the conflict.

History & Significance

Fort Morris was constructed under the direction of James Burd, Edward Shippen's son-in-law, following General Braddock's disastrous defeat in July 1755. The fort was completed in late 1756 and named in honor of Governor Robert Hunter Morris.

It consisted of a stockaded blockhouse measuring approximately 120 feet square with bastions at each corner and a notably deep 70-foot well. The garrison, initially commanded by Hugh Mercer, consisted of two companies totaling 112 men by February 1758.

Beyond its military function, Fort Morris served as a supply depot for Pennsylvania militia and troops participating in the Forbes Expedition. Though situated amid significant Native American raids throughout the Cumberland Valley in 1756–1757, the fort was never attacked.

Following the garrison's withdrawal in 1759, Edward Shippen maintained the fort for several years in hopes of future conflicts. During Pontiac's War it was refurbished but never fully garrisoned again, eventually falling into disrepair and dismantlement. Between 2009 and 2012, archaeological excavations recovered over 23,000 artifacts including pottery, musket balls, flints, buttons, and coins, conclusively identifying the fort's location on the hill between Burd and Fort Streets.