Fort Warren (Castleton, Vermont)

Castleton · Vermont · Revolutionary War

Quick BriefFort Warren was a wooden stockade fort in Castleton, Vermont, with construction beginning in 1778 and completed by April 1779. Between 1779 and the war's end, it operated with Forts Rutland, Ranger, and Vengeance to defend Vermont's "northern frontier." The fort operated at its original Castleton location until mid-1781, when it was relocated westward to Hydeville.

History & Significance

Fort Warren's construction began after the Skirmish of Castleton in 1777 and was completed with assistance from Vermont militia under the newly-formed Vermont republic. By 1779, the Vermont Board of War decided organized state defense was necessary after years of raids and harassment from Native tribes, Tories, and British regulars, leading to the construction of picket forts in Rutland County towns including Castleton.

The fort anchored Vermont's defensive "northern frontier," defined by the north line of Castleton, the west and north lines of Pittsford, and the Green Mountains; settlers living north of this line were advised to move south for safety. The Rutland County forts typically housed 100 to 250 men, staffed by minutemen and Vermont militia companies, with at least one equipped with artillery.

After mid-1781, the fort was relocated west to present-day Hydeville (then Blanchard's Mills) and served as militia headquarters through war's end. Fort Warren has since been destroyed by development, leaving no physical remains.