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Fort Norris
Monroe County, Pennsylvania (near Kresgeville, Pennsylvania)
Fort NorrisLocation of Fort Norris in Pennsylvania
Coordinates	40°53′49″N 75°30′11″W / 40.89694°N 75.50306°W / 40.89694; -75.50306
Type	Military fort
Site history
Built	1756
In use	1756–1758
Battles/wars	French and Indian War
Garrison information
Past commanders	Captain Jacob Orndt Captain George Reynolds Lieutenant Andreas Engel
Garrison	30-50 men plus officers
Pennsylvania Historical Marker
Designated	1945

Fort Norris was a stockaded fort built at the orders of Benjamin Franklin in early 1756 in what is now Monroe County, Pennsylvania, following a series of attacks on local communities by Native Americans in December 1755. Construction was initiated in late January, at the same time that neighboring forts Allen, Hamilton (in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania), and Franklin were being built. The fort was named for Isaac Norris, speaker of the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly, who was a member of the planning committee charged with designing defenses in preparation for the French and Indian war. Located about fifteen miles east of Fort Allen, it was one in a chain of defensive posts running from the New Jersey border, southwest to the Maryland border, when attacks on settlements were frequent at the beginning of the French and Indian War. The fort never saw military action and was abandoned in late 1758.

Background

In December 1755, a series of attacks on people in the area surrounding Stroudsburg had terrified the population, who then demanded military protection from the Pennsylvania government. On 10 December, a war party of about 200 Native American warriors attacked the Hoeth family farm and killed everyone except Mr. Hoeth and his son. The next day, warriors destroyed Broadhead's Plantation, and attacked and burned farms belonging to the Culvers, the McMichaels, the Hartmanns. A number of settlers died when they were trapped inside burning buildings. Over 300 people fled to Bethlehem and Easton.

In response to these attacks, which occurred within a month of the Great Cove massacre and the Gnadenhütten massacre, prompted the Pennsylvania provincial government to construct a chain of forts across the western frontier, running from the New Jersey border, southwest to the Maryland border. Fort Hamilton in Stroudsburg and Fort Dupuy near Smithfield Township were built in December and Fort Norris, Fort Allen and Fort Franklin were built in early 1756.

History

In January 1756, Franklin sent Jacob Orndt to assist Captain Adam Trump and Captain William Hayes in the building of Fort Norris. Trump and Hayes had selected a site on land owned by Johann Philip Serfas, a local farmer. Years later Samuel Preston, a surveyor, wrote that the colonial officers "took all they had for the soldiers, and sent off empty-handed to seek their fortunes. They were gone eight years, during which time all their buildings were burned as well as fences." Captain Jacob Orndt completed construction in early February, and became the fort's commander, with a garrison of 50 men.

Historians believe that Fort Norris was located about one mile southeast of Kresgeville, Pennsylvania, just south of Pohopoco Creek, to the north of a road passing east-west towards the Minisink (present-day Mountain View Drive) near its intersection with Silver Spring Boulevard. A 19th-century map shows a well and a cemetery to the east of the fort.

Commissary General James Young inspected Fort Norris on 23 June 1756, and reported:

"Came to Fort Norris, found here a Serjeant Commanding 21 men, he told me the Ensign with 12 men was gone out this morning to Range the Woods towards Fort Allen, the Cap'tn was at Philadelphia since the 16th for the peoples' pay...This Fort Stands in a Valley ab't midway between the North mountain, and the Tuscorory, 6 miles from Each on the high Road towards the Minisink, it is a Square ab't 80 ft Each way with 4 half Bastions all very Completely Staccaded, and finished and very Defenceable, the Woods are Clear 400 yds Round it, on the Bastions are two Sweevel Guns mount'd, within is a good Barrack, a Guard Room, Store Room, and kitchin also a Good Well."

Command

Captain Orndt was considered to be a capable officer, and following the mutiny at Fort Allen in August 1756, Lieutenant Miller, who was held responsible, was transferred to Fort Norris, where he was to serve under his command. On 8 October 1756, Orndt was reassigned to command Fort Allen, and Captain Reynolds and the entire Fort Allen garrison were transferred to Fort Norris, while the Fort Norris garrison was sent to Fort Allen. In May 1757, Lieutenant Engels was transferred from Fort Franklin to take command of Fort Norris. The garrison at that time was still 50 men.

Abandonment, 1758

The fort was still in use as of 28 February 1758, with a reduced garrison, when Major James Burd visited, writing that he "Sett off from hence at 10 A.M. for Lieut. Ingle's post, arrived at Lieu't Ingle's at 4 P.M., ordered a Review Immediately, & found here Lieu't Ingle and 30 good men in a very good Stockade, which he is just finishing, 15 miles from Fort Allen." Burd noted that Engels was completing some repairs to the fort, suggesting that it was expected to remain in use. The fort was abandoned by the end of 1758.

Memorialization

A stone monument, placed in 1945 by the Monroe County Historical Association, is located east of Kresgeville, at the intersection of US Route 209 and Pennsylvania Route 534. The inscription reads:

"Erected 1756 one mile southeast across Pohopoco Creek, one of line of frontier forts built under the direction of James Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin. Commanded successively by Captain Jacob Orndt, "an excellent officer", Capt. Reynolds and Lieut. Engell, located strategically for guarding the settlers north of the Blue Mountains during the French and Indian War."

References

1. "From Benjamin Franklin to ——, 25 January 1756," Founders Online, National Archives, The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, vol. 6, April 1, 1755, through September 30, 1756, ed. Leonard W. Labaree. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1963, pp. 365–368.
2. ^ Amy Leiser,"Monroe County’s frontier forts: Fort Norris," Monroe County Historical Association, December 12, 2012
3. Waddell, Louis M. "Defending the Long Perimeter: Forts on the Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. Frontier, 1755-1765.” Pennsylvania History, 62:2(1995):171-195.
4. ^ Thomas Lynch Montgomery, ed. Report of the Commission to Locate the Site of the Frontier Forts of Pennsylvania, vol 1, Harrisburg, PA: W.S. Ray, state printer, 1916
5. "From Benjamin Franklin to Timothy Horsfield, 24 January 1756,” Founders Online, National Archives, The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, vol. 6, April 1, 1755, through September 30, 1756, ed. Leonard W. Labaree. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1963, pp. 363–364.
6. "From Benjamin Franklin to ——, 25 January 1756," Founders Online, National Archives, The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, vol. 6, April 1, 1755, through September 30, 1756, ed. Leonard W. Labaree. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1963, pp. 365–368.
7. "Position of Troops in Northampton County,
8. Pete Payette, "Fort Norris," Pennsylvania Forts: Northeast Pennsylvania, NorthAmericanForts.com, May 7, 2018
9. "Fort Norris," Historical Marker Project, 2024

v t e Pennsylvania during the French and Indian War
1754	Battle of Jumonville Glen Battle of the Great Meadows
1755	Braddock Expedition Battle of the Monongahela Penn's Creek massacre Great Cove massacre Kobel massacre Gnadenhütten massacre
1756	Battle of Sideling Hill Kittanning Expedition
1757	Hochstetler massacre Bloody Springs massacre
1758	Battle of Fort Duquesne Battle of Fort Ligonier Treaty of Easton Forbes Expedition
Frontier Forts	Fort Allen Fort Augusta Fort Bedford Fort Bigham Fort Depuy Fort Deshler Fort Duquesne Fort Franklin Fort Granville Fort Halifax Fort Henry Fort Hunter Fort Hyndshaw Fort Juniata Crossing Fort Lebanon Fort Le Boeuf Light's Fort Fort Ligonier Fort Loudoun Fort Lyttleton Fort Machault Fort Manada Fort McCord Mercer's Fort Fort Necessity Fort Norris Fort Northkill Fort Pitt Fort Presque Isle Fort Prince George Redstone Old Fort Fort Robinson Fort Shirley Fort Swatara Fort Venango Fort William Heinrich Zeller House

• Forts in Pennsylvania
• French and Indian War forts
• British forts in the United States
• Monroe County, Pennsylvania
• Colonial forts in Pennsylvania
• Buildings and structures in Monroe County, Pennsylvania
• Government buildings completed in 1756
• 1756 establishments in Pennsylvania
• Pre-statehood history of Pennsylvania