Fort Piper (Hopewell Township, Bedford County, Pennsylvania)

Hopewell Township, Bedford County · Pennsylvania · American Revolution

Quick BriefFort Piper was an American Revolution-era settler's fort in Yellow Creek Valley, Bedford County, Pennsylvania, built under the direction of John Piper (1729–1816), a member of the Pennsylvania militia. Piper settled in the area around 1771 and constructed a log fort on the south end of Black Oak Ridge, serving as Lieutenant Colonel during the Revolutionary War while actively protecting local settlements from hostile Indian attacks.

History & Significance

Colonel John Piper settled in the Yellow Creek Valley around 1771 and constructed a log fort at the southern end of Black Oak Ridge for the protection of himself and local settlers. In 1777, Piper erected a two-story stone house that became known as Fort Piper.

Settlers fled to this stone dwelling for refuge during hostilities. As Lieutenant Colonel of the county during the Revolutionary War, Piper was active in protecting the local settlements from hostile Indian attacks.

On May 19, 1781, Indians killed one man, a woman, and two children within one mile of Fort Piper, underscoring the ongoing frontier danger. Piper served as justice of the Peace in Bedford County in 1773, was a delegate to the Provincial Convention at Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia in 1776, and was elected to the General Assembly of Pennsylvania from 1785–1789.

Today, only the chimney and stone fireplace hearth remain visible on the property. No provincial records indicate that this fort was officially authorized or designated as a formal garrison.