Fort Gratiot - Port Huron, MI
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member bobfrapples8
N 42° 59.700 W 082° 25.683
17T E 383591 N 4761248
Fort Gratiot was an American stockade fort in Fort Gratiot, Michigan, in Saint Clair County, Michigan. The former location of the fort was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Waymark Code: WM1C5QE
Location: Michigan, United States
Date Posted: 06/09/2025
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member pmaupin
Views: 0

Fort Gratiot was an American stockade fort in Fort Gratiot, Michigan, in Saint Clair County, Michigan. The former location of the fort was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

The Army constructed Fort Gratiot in 1814 as an outpost to guard the juncture of the Saint Clair River and Lake Huron. The fort took the name of the engineer supervising its construction, Charles Gratiot. Soldiers occupied Fort Gratiot until 1822 and then abandoned the fort. Lucius Lyon built Fort Gratiot Light north of Fort Gratiot in 1825–1829.

The Army then returned from 1828, and rebuilt the fort to a somewhat smaller size than the original, also building some timber-framed structures on the site, including a hospital and officer's quarters. The site was used intermittently until 1879.

The Army abandoned Fort Gratiot in 1879. It was not entirely shut down until 1895.

Pine Grove Park occupies part of the fort site. The timber-framed hospital and officers quarters were moved multiple times within the fort, finally being placed in the western section, along what is now St. Claire Street. In the 1980s, archaeological work determined the age of the structures, and in 2000–02, the Port Huron Museum acquired both homes and moved them to a lot in Lighthouse Park, where the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse is located. Restoration occurred from 2012-24 with a Grand Opening ceremony in August.

Description
The original fort was constructed entirely of wood. Logs formed the base, with piled earth and upright timbers forming a stockade. The fort was approximately 165 wide feet by 495 feet long. It likely had a two-story blockhouse.-Fort Gratiot
Wikipedia Url: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
To post a visit log to this waymark you need to visit and write about the actual physical location. Any pictures you take at the location would be great, as well.
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest Wikipedia Entries
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
There are no logs for this waymark yet.