We took a look at Historic Fort Roberdeau, a fort that dates back to the Revolutionary War in 1778. The purpose of the fort was to be used in an operation to extract lead ore for the use of crafting ammunition for the Continental Army. The Historic site was rebuilt as part of the Bicentennial Project in 1976. The construction was based off of a letter to George Washington describing the fort by General Roberdeau, the fort’s namesake. They also used sketches of the fort drawn by an artist from “Columbia Magazine” which were done before the fort’s deconstruction.
The Fort Roberdeau Association was created to raise money to maintain the fort’s building and structures, as well as providing educational programming. The Association provides tours, activities, and maintains local trails for recreational activities.
The fort was also a Regional Garrison for the Revolutionary War and was armed with cannons and muskets as a stronghold on the front lines during the war. The Fort was equipped with four 4-pound artillery cannons for defense. Larry Zilch gave us a run through the operations of one such cannon that is on display at Fort Roberdeau.
Tour Guide Zachary Bloom explains to us the arrival of Daniel Roberdeau and the construction of the fort in Sinking Valley. Following the lead mining operation, Fort Roberdeau was left in place as a means of protection for settlers and farmers who settled in the valley.