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Fort Malden National Historic Site, Ontario, exhibits building and restored barracks. By Dwight Burdette – Own work,

Top 10 Astonishing Facts about Fort Malden National Historic Site

Fort Malden is formally known as Fort Amherstburg, It is a defense fortification located in Amherstburg. It was built y Britain in 1795 to ensure that there was the security of British North America against any potential threat of American invasion. It is popularly known for its military application during the war of 1812.

If you are planning a trip to visit the Fort Malden National historic site you are likely to find the following

• see where Major General Sir Isaac Brock and Shawnee Chief Tecumseh planned the attack on Fort Detroit.
• Learn how the British destroyed the fort and retreated, leaving American forces to begin rebuilding the fort until the war ended – the longest American occupation on Canadian soil.

The following are the top 10 astonishing facts about Fort Malden National Historic sites that you should know while planning the trip.

1. It is one of the national historic sites in Canada

National Historic sites of Canada are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment as advised by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada as being of national historic significance. Therefore, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada recognized  Fort Malden as having historical importance in 1921.

It is therefore open to the public under the supervision of Parks Canada. The visitors are allowed to see a wide array of Fort Malden’s history, since all the buildings on the complex showcase different periods within the history.

2. It was a Military Installation

Fort Malden overlooks the Detroit River and the American frontier and its location was strategic during the War of 1812. However it was built only after that conflict concluded. It sits atop the site of Fort Amherstburg its predecessor which was destroyed by the retreating British in 1813.By Colincan – Own work, CC BY-SA commons. .

Before Fort Malden was turned into a lunatic asylum it served as a military station for the defense of the western frontier from 1796 to 1813 in the war of 1812.

3. It was used as a lunatic asylum

After it stopped being a military installation and was abandoned by the British government, the ownership of the  Fort Malden was turned over to the province of Ontario and on June 8, 1859, the Ontario government determined that the fort would be recommissioned as a provincial insane asylum. It was therefore converted into a lunatic asylum that would act as an extension of the Toronto Lunatic Asylum to house surplus the patients.

4. It was the site of  the longest American occupation on Canadian soil

After Fort Malden was burned and abandoned by General Proctor in the fall of 1813, the American force occupied the towns of sandwich and Amherstburg including the land that the first had occupied. The territory occupied was used to conduct supply raids near Chatham -Kent and London, Ontario.

However, in 1815, the war ended after the U.S ratification of the Treaty of Ghent in February and the border between the United State and British North America was restored and returned the property of Amherstburg and Fort Malden to the British. The Americans, therefore,  withdrew from Fort Malden on July 1 1815 officially. 

5. It was the British stronghold 

Fort Malden was built in 1795 by Britain to ensure the security of British North America against any potential threat of the American Invasion. Throughout its history, it is most known for its military application during the War of 1812 as a British stronghold.

6. It was a setting for the British Pensioner Scheme

Fort Malden was occupied by army pensioners from 1851 to1859 and therefore referred to as the pensioner scheme. It was redesigned to accommodate the large number of retired military men living in Upper Canada.

About 350 army Pensioners occupied Amherstburg along with their families as part of the Pensioner Scheme. Therefore the scheme at  Fort Malden was considered to be successful not only for the pensioners but also for the development.

7. It is the location of a historic meeting between Major General Sir Isaac Brock and Shawnee Chief Tecumseh

Entrance to the Kings Navy Yard, Fort Malden, By Kayla Dettinger Wikimedia

Ontario witnessed the meeting between Major General Sir Isaac Brock and Shawnee Chief Tecumseh. In August 1812, it is when  Major General Isaac Brock traveled to Amherstburg to organize the British attack on Fort Detroit. He met with native warriors, including Tecumseh, to negotiate an alliance to fight against the Americans. The success of their meeting would determine the future of Upper Canada. They chose Fort Malden as their base of operation for the attack on Fort Detroit.

8. I t served in the 34th Regiment of Foot

The 34th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British army that was formed in 1702. The fort was rebuilt between 1838 and 1840. It served as an important staging area for the 43the regiment of the foot that took place in Essex County Ontario during the period of the Upper Canada Rebellion. The upper Canadian rebellion took place from 1837 to 1838.

9. It has  the Hough House

 The Hough is the most visited site of Fort Malden, due to its attractive design and the fact that it plays a role to host a large number of records about the history of the fort itself. It was constructed in the late 19th century but was restored as a colonial revival-style building. The building showcases excellent masonry work and wood detailing.

10. It  has a rich and diverse history  

Fort Malden also has rich and diverse history aside from its military applications, By Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA – U.S. Flag, Fort Malden, Amherstburg, Ontario,

Apart from its military application, fort Malden has a rich and diverse history. The history includes the fact that it was a British pensioner scheme and later became an Ontario Provincial Asylum. The fort was later surveyed and privatized until the mid-19th century. It became a historic site after decades of residents advocating for its preservation to the federal government.