Vision

To be the premier French and Indian War era historic site in the United States.

Mission

To preserve and interpret the history of North Carolina's only French and Indian War fort site to all citizens and visitors.

History:

When war began, North Carolina's unprotected frontier settlements were considered at risk from Indians friendly to the French. In 1755, Gov. Arthur Dobbs (1689-1765) persuaded the legislature to fund "a Barrack and Fort for the Company on the Western Frontier." Construction was underway by the spring of 1756.

In December 1756 the only known contemporary description of Fort Dobbs said it was: "A good and Substantial Building of the Dimentions following (that is to say) The Oblong Square fifty three feet by forty, the opposite Angles Twenty four feet and Twenty-two, In height Twenty four and a half feet as by the Plan annexed Appears, The Thickness of the Walls which are made of Oak Logs regularly Diminished from sixteen Inches to Six, it contains three floors and there may be discharged from each floor at one and the same time about one hundred Muskets the same is beautifully scituated in the fork of Fourth Creek a Branch of the Yadkin River."

Fort Dobbs was the only frontier provincial fort in the colony of North Carolina. It served as the military headquarters for the frontier company (approximately fifty men) as well as a safe-haven for settlers.

The fort was attacked on the night of February 27, 1760 when more than seventy Cherokees were repelled. One colonial boy was killed, two soldiers and one volunteer injured and approximately twelve Cherokee were wounded and killed.

Waddell described the encounter in a dispatch to Governor Dobbs. "We had not marched 300 yds from the fort when we were attacked by at least 60 or 70 Indians ... We recd the Indian's fire: When I perceived they had almost all fired, I ordered my party to fire which We did not further than 12 Steps each loaded with a Bullet and 7 Buck shot, they had nothing to cover them as they were advancing either to tomahawk or make us prisoners ... the Indians were soon repulsed with I am sure a considerable Loss, from what I myself saw as well as those I can confide in they cou'd not have less that 10 or 12 killed and wounded ... On my sided I had 2 Men wounded one of whom I am afraid will die as he is scalped, the other is in a way of Recovery, and one boy killed near the fort."

By the end of 1761, the British had essentially won the war and only thirty troops remained at the fort. Colonial leaders disbanded them as settlement moved far west of the fort. The neglected fort was in ruins by 1766.