Road Town Fort facts for kids
Road Town Fort was an old fort built by the British on Russell Hill in Road Town, Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands. It stood high above the town's main dock. Sometimes, old records call it Fort Road Town. Over time, the fort fell apart. In the 1960s, a building called the Bougainvillea clinic was built right on top of its old foundations. People in the area often call this clinic the "Purple Palace" because of its color! A very strong room from the original fort, which used to be where the government kept its money, is still there today. The clinic now uses it as a storage room.
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What Was Road Town Fort?
The main part of Road Town Fort was built by the British in the late 1700s. This was around the time the American Revolutionary War began. It was part of a big plan to make Road Town's defenses stronger. Soldiers stayed at the fort all through the Napoleonic Wars. After these wars ended, and after slavery was ended, the fort was eventually left empty. The British Virgin Islands faced tough economic times, and it cost too much money to keep the fort running.
Road Town's Strong Defenses
Road Town Fort was part of a very strong defense system around Road Town. At that time, Road Town was protected by several forts that worked together:
- Fort Burt guarded the western entrance to the harbor.
- Fort George protected the eastern entrance.
- Road Town Fort was in the middle, right above the main dock.
- Fort Charlotte was built high up on Harrigan's Hill, watching over everything.
Did the Fort See Any Battles?
Road Town Fort never actually had to fight in a battle. The combination of Road Town's strong defenses and Tortola's relatively small importance meant that other countries and even privateers (private ships allowed to attack enemy ships) and pirates chose to attack other places instead. Before these forts were built, Spanish privateers often attacked Road Town. So, even though it never fought, Road Town Fort still did its job by scaring off potential attackers!
What Can You See Today?
The Bougainvillea clinic is a private building, so you can't usually go inside to see the fort's remains. However, if you stand on Main Street below and look up, you can still see parts of the fort's old outer wall.
Was There an Older Fort Here?
Some people think that Road Town Fort might have been built on top of an even older Dutch fort. We know that the British built two forts in Road Town on what they believed were old Dutch sites. These were thought to be Fort Burt and Fort George. However, some historians are not so sure about Fort Burt. It doesn't quite match up with Spanish records about their attacks on Tortola in the 1600s. So, it's possible that one of those older Dutch forts might actually be hidden under Road Town Fort! We do know that Fort Charlotte was built on an old Dutch lookout spot.
