Fort Young was a major military installation on the Caribbean island of

Dominica Dominica, officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. It is part of the Windward Islands chain in the Lesser Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of t ...

. It was built by the British in 1770. The fort was named for William Young, the island's first British governor. Today, only ruins remain of the fort, and the site is the location of the

Fort Young Hotel Fort Young Hotel is a hotel on the quayside of Roseau, Dominica, in the southern part of the capital next to Garraway Hotel, Dominica Museum, the Roseau Public Library, just south of the Government House, Dominica, Governor's Residence and Roseau C ...

History

17th and 18th centuries

In 1699, during the first French occupation of Barbados, a fort was built in Roseau, present-day capital of Dominica. In 1770, during the first British occupation of Barbados, a new fort was built at the location. The new fort was named "Fort Young" for William Young, the island's first non-military British governor. Young ordered the fort's construction during the time of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

. The fort was expanded by Captain Bruce,

Royal Engineer The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...

, to contain 17 cannons. Prise de la Dominique cph

In 1778, the French successfully invaded Dominica and capturing multiple forts including Fort Young, and overtaking the island. During this second occupation by the French, the fort's name was changed to ''Fort de La Reine''. Additions were made to the fort, including improvements to the

barracks Barracks are buildings used to accommodate military personnel and quasi-military personnel such as police. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word 'soldier's tent', but today barracks ar ...

, storeroom, and ramparts. Dominica remained controlled by the French until 1784. The island was returned to British control under the terms of the Treaty of Paris. On the January 10, 1784, a cannon salute was fired from Fort Young as Governor John Orde arrived via

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

to retake possession of Dominica.

19th century to present

From the 1850s to 1960s, the fort was used as the headquarters of Dominica's police force. In 1964, Fort Young Hotel was built on the site. In 1979,

Hurricane David Hurricane David was a devastating tropical cyclone which significantly damaged and killed many people in Dominica and the Dominican Republic in August 1979, and was the most intense hurricane to make landfall in the country in recorded history ...

destroyed a significant part of the fort's remains. The courtyard of the hotel retains the fort's original

flagstone Flagstone (flag) is a generic flat Rock (geology), stone, sometimes cut in regular rectangular or square shape and usually used for Sidewalk, paving slabs or walkways, patios, flooring, fences and roofing. It may be used for memorials, headstone ...

walkways. 19th-century cannons are located in the hotel's foyer and at the entrance is a large stone that was once used to mount horses. In 2023, hotel renovations included a new bar and lounge set in the fort's barracks, and a new fitness center at the level of the fort's ramparts and near the original flagpole.

References

{{Reflist Domin 18th-century fortifications Fortifications of the British Empire