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

fortification A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

building located at Stevenson,

Baltimore County, Maryland Baltimore County ( , locally: or ) is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Maryland and is part of the Baltimore metropolitan area. Baltimore County (which partially surrounds, though does not include, the independent City of ...

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 (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the st ...

. 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 general and colonial official who served as the Governor of South Carolina from 1721 to 1725. He previously was the Governor of Nova Scotia from 1712 to 1715, th ...

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 United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

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 cultura ...

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 Garrison Government buildings completed in 1695 Native American history of Maryland Stevenson, Maryland Tourist attractions in Baltimore County, Maryland Garrison 1695 establishments in Maryland National Register of Historic Places in Baltimore County, Maryland {{BaltimoreCountyMD-NRHP-stub