Fort Garrison, also known as Oulton's Garrison, Risteau's Garrison, and Olton's Garrison, is a historic

fortification A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...

building located at

Stevenson Stevenson is an English language patronymic surname meaning "son of Steven". Its first historical record is from pre-10th-century England. Another origin of the name is as a toponymic surname related to the place Stevenstone in Devon, England. The ...

Baltimore County, Maryland Baltimore County ( , locally: or ) is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Maryland. The county is part of the Central Maryland region of the state. Baltimore County partly surrounds but does not include the independent cit ...

on Garrison Farms Court. It is a rectangular

fieldstone Fieldstone is a naturally occurring type of stone, which lies at or near the surface of the Earth. Fieldstone is a nuisance for farmers seeking to expand their land under cultivation, but at some point it began to be used as a construction mate ...

building built about 1695. The fort was built to serve as a stronghold against attacks by Native Americans and was used during the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

. It is approximately 48 feet long and 18 feet wide with one large stone fireplace. Modifications in the early-19th century raised the height of the fort building adding a second story loft and a wood shingle roof. It was constructed following a 1693 order from Governor

Francis Nicholson Lieutenant-General Francis Nicholson (12 November 1655 – ) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of South Carolina from 1721 to 1725. He previously was the Governor of Nova Scotia from 1712 to 1715, ...

and his Council. The property was acquired in 1965 by the Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1971. In 2019, the

Maryland Historical Trust The Maryland Historical Trust is an agency of Maryland Department of Planning and serves as the Maryland State Historic Preservation Office. The agency serves to assist in research, conservation, and education, of Maryland's historical and cultur ...

removed a sign at Fort Garrison after officials received complaints over the use of the term "hostile Indians". The language, dating back to 1934, was removed on the basis of bias against Native Americans.

References

External links

Fort Garrison
- Baltimore County Historic Sites *, including photo from 1975, at Maryland Historical Trust Anti-Indigenous racism in Maryland Buildings and structures in Baltimore County, Maryland

Garrison A garrison is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a military base or fortified military headquarters. A garrison is usually in a city ...

Buildings and structures completed in 1695 Government buildings completed in the 17th century Native American history of Maryland Stevenson, Maryland Tourist attractions in Baltimore County, Maryland

1695 establishments in Maryland National Register of Historic Places in Baltimore County, Maryland {{BaltimoreCountyMD-NRHP-stub