Old Fort Well - Deerfield, MA
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 42° 32.718 W 072° 36.278
18T E 696680 N 4713103
The Old Fort Well is located between the sidewalk and Old Main Street in the preserved Old Deerfield Village Historic Landmark District of Deerfield, MA.
Waymark Code: WMP4BT
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 06/29/2015
Views: 6
In the late 17th century present day Old Deerfield Village was a English fortified settlement at the very edge of the Massachusetts Bay Colony surrounded by the lands of the native Pocumtuck tribe. As a frontier settlement, Deerfield regularly experienced attack. It was forced to be abandoned during King Philip's War in 1675 and fortified and resettled in 1682. Thereafter, in 1690, the Old Fort Well was built.
The circular well is about 6' in diameter and 5' high. It is made by stacking four courses of locally quarried stone. The well now has a stone cap which is inscribed: OLD FORT WELL 1690.
The fortification did not prevent a devastating raid on February 29, in 1704 when 50 residents were killed and 112 taken as captives to Canada.