Fort Halifax State Historic Site
ME - Portland, Maine, USA
U.S. 201, Winslow, ME 04901, USA
PARK
VISITOR INFORMATION
TICKET REQUIRED
The state historic site is open year-round. Explore the grounds and view the surviving blockhouse; confirm any interior access locally, as the heritage listing does not give regular interior hours or an admission price.
FREE PUBLIC PARKING
Restrooms and parking are usually available on site, though this has not been recently confirmed.
SITE FEATURES
Exhibits & Artifacts
Surviving Structures
Summer tourism and autumn outings may add demand (Maine regional inference). Site-specific peak months unconfirmed.
June or September for the riverside grounds and blockhouse exterior in generally moderate weather. Confirm any interior opening separately; year-round park access does not guarantee entry to the blockhouse.
HISTORIC SITES NEARBY
Nearby Historic Sites
miles
Landmark
WHO WAS HERE
2
Aaron Burr
Benedict Arnold
About Fort Halifax State Historic Site
Fort Halifax was a fort on the north bank of the Sebasticook River. In 1754, Fort Halifax was built by order of the Massachusetts General Court on the peninsula at the confluence of the Sebasticook and Kennebec rivers. The fort was named for George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax, the British colonial secretary. A settlement subsequently sprang up under its protection, and was named in honor of Major-General John Winslow, of Marshfield, Massachusetts who had overseen the fort's construction.
A surviving 1754 blockhouse remains within a small Maine state historic site beside the Kennebec River. The relocated and reconstructed timber structure, archaeological remains, interpretive markers, picnic grounds, and riverfront landscape preserve the site of the former fortified complex and trading route.
History happened here at Fort Halifax State Historic Site
In September 1775, Fort Halifax hosted troops under Colonel Benedict Arnold on their expedition to Quebec City. At the end of the American Revolution, most of Fort Halifax was dismantled. By the early 19th century, only the blockhouse on the Sebasticook still stood. Later in the century, tourists visited the fort, especially railway passengers and students from Colby College. These guests carved chunks of wood from the blockhouse as souvenirs.
PEOPLE WHO LIVED HERE
PEOPLE WHO DIED HERE
PEOPLE AT REST HERE
EXTERNAL LINKS
www1.maine.gov: https://www1.maine.gov/DACF/parks/discover_history_explore_nature/history/fort_halifax/index.shtml
maine.gov: https://www.maine.gov/sos/maineatlas/explore-the-atlas/forts-maine
Maine dates the fort to 1754–1755, earlier than the row's September 1775 campaign association. The state atlas records destruction of the blockhouse in the 1987 flood and reconstruction the next year using some original timbers. The surviving resource combines recovered material and reconstruction; the wider park is distinct from the original fort.
Accessed 2026-09-30