Step into the 18th Century at The Fort at No. 4

NEW ENGLAND’S HIDDEN COLONIAL GEM

The sharp clang of iron striking iron. The steady slosh of milk in a churn. The warning triple shot of the signal gun.

Your ears may betray you into thinking you’ve stepped back into a pre-Revolutionary settlement when you visit The Fort at No. 4 in Charlestown, N.H. If you keep listening, you’ll hear the stories of struggles and success of a community that was once the frontier of colonial America.

The Fort at No. 4 living history museum is a faithful reproduction of a village built by English colonists migrating from Massachusetts. The Fort consists of a close-knit cluster of log homes arranged in a square, all enclosed by a high wooden palisade wall. These homes weren’t just residences—they served dual purposes as family dwellings and defensive positions. Lookout points and heavy gates allowed the community to quickly respond to danger, while interior shared space fostered cooperation among settlers. Today, volunteer historical interpreters deliver

an immersive experience for learning about everyday colonial life.

“The Fort at No 4 was more than just a military post—it was a fully fortified frontier village, designed to protect early settlers from the constant threat of attack during the volatile years of the mid-1700s,” says Interim Director Alissa Bascom. “At the time it was built in 1743, it was the northwestern-most, British outpost.”

The colonists and native people had a complex relationship: at times in conflict, and other times they cooperated as trading partners. The Fort at No. 4 today works to recognize the enduring injustices rooted in colonialism and learn from and assist with the preservation of the region’s Native American prehistory.

The location on the banks of a curve in the Connecticut River, not far from Canada, was strategically important during King George’s War and the French and Indian War. By the time of the American Revolution, the need for the fort had diminished, and it fell out of use.

During the summertime, re-enactors spend weekends bringing these wars to life. While the military drills are a fascinating point in the Fort at No. 4’s story, everyday work is on display at the site.

“We are a representation of the colonial settler who forged their way,” Bascom says. “We are focused on programming involving colonial skills used by settlers as they built their communities. These skills were essential because most everything had to be made or grown. Food preparation and preservation, blacksmithing, carpentry, the traditional spinning, weaving, sewing and mending, the laundry. All of those skills that settlers and families would have needed to survive.”

Historical interpreters at the museum re-enact a variety of people. Visitors can meet the blacksmith actively working in his shop, the carpenter in the joinery, a baker, the trader in the Stevens house and other examples of settlers who worked preparing food,

growing flax and crafting everything needed to survive.

“We are a hands-on museum,” Bascom says. “You can lie on the rope bed, you can sit at the dining table. You can walk up to the hearth. You can smell the smoke. You can actually feel like what it would be to be in that family, living in that house, doing the chores. You can walk in the gardens, you can touch and smell the herbs, you can look at the dye plants.”

The Fort at No. 4 plays a central role in the Charlestown community and the region at large.

“It’s a unique location,” Bascom says. “You’re not going to say, ‘Oh, I’ve seen all that before, somewhere else.’ To call this a cornerstone of this region is important.”

While the original fort was lost to time, in patriotic zeal following World War II, there was an effort by the New Hampshire Women’s Federation to restore the landmark’s place in history. But it took a long time and a lot of help.

“Building of the first structure started in the 1960s, and the connection of all the structures wasn’t completed until the ’90s,” Bascom says. “It makes me tear up a little bit to think about the sheer number of people who have found this place to be so important and this history to be so valuable that they worked to keep it alive with little to no funding but a lot of time and energy. We are hoping to change that as we experience a resurgence in passion for our collective history. We need financial and volunteer support more than ever.”

The Fort at No. 4 is open seasonally to the public, May to November, Fridays through Sundays, plus Memorial Day. Group tours, including those for students, scout troops or senior centers, are available! Many of the summer weekends have special programs and workshops, in addition to reenactment weekends, such as the Colonial Women’s Weekend, Children’s Living History Weekend, and Homestead Days.

Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors over 62 and military members, $10 for children 6 to 18 and free for those 5 and under or members.

“We encourage people to come visit and take an interest in seeing this history continue. We can’t wait to share it with you!” Bascom says.

For more information on the Fort at No. 4, visit fortat4.org.