Dive Into Detroit History on a Tour of Fort Wayne

We’ve been fortunate to visit many of Michigan’s surviving forts over the years (Fort Mackinac, Colonial Michilimackinac, Fort Holmes, Fort Wilkins) and in October we were finally able to tour one that had been on our list for a long time – Historic Fort Wayne in Detroit. Dating back to the 1840s, Fort Wayne is located next to the Detroit River at a point where the Canadian shoreline is about a half mile away. Once a bustling hub of activity, the fort fell into disrepair from the 1970s – early 2000s. Many of its buildings have been rehabilitated by the Historic Fort Wayne Coalition and the city of Detroit. We took a tour with Christopher Buryta, Vice Chairman of the Historic Fort Wayne Coalition, and were able to tour many parts of the fort while learning about the history of the area before the fort, what each part of the fort was designed for, and how the fort was and is continuing to be used. Today we will take a look at some of our pictures from our visit while sharing some facts about this historical destination in Detroit.

Our tour began with a walk past a barracks building that is still in disrepair, the visitor center, and another barracks building. After checking out the Michigan historical marker that notes “no hostile shots have ever been fired from this star-shaped fort built in the 1840s to guard against a British invasion from Canada which never came,” we headed into the heart of the “star fort” itself.

We entered through the sally port and its thick wooden doors, passing a plaque that detailed more of the fort’s history. We learned about the fort’s construction and how the walls were reconstructed with brick in the 1860s. From the outside we could see small openings in the walls that we would soon learn the purpose of from inside.

From inside the walls of the fort we were immediately reminded of others we had toured on the east coast (Fort Knox, Fort Popham, Fort Revere, and others). Visitors can see the small openings where soldiers would have been able to defend their position with rifles, as well as the large opening for cannons that were mounted on a metal track. We also got to see where supplies would have been stored before we made our way through a hallway and out into the fort’s center.

The fort is home to a large limestone barracks building that has been restored. We learned about how it was built with five sections that are separate, each able to house a company of soldiers. The backside of the building has a very different appearance than the front, as washrooms and kitchens were added in later years.

The powder magazine was also located here by the barracks. After a peek inside there, we headed past the barracks through the west wall of the fort to the rows of officers’ housing and other buildings. Here’s a look at some of the other things we saw on our tour:

The former married officers’ quarters building, which was later used to house a museum.

Officers’ Row housing

View of the new Gordie Howe International Bridge just past the fort’s parade ground

The Commandant’s Quarters

An Indian burial mound

The old post guard house

Several military tanks

The post headquarters building

NCO Row houses, which are in pretty rough shape

Historical cannons on display

A Michigan historical marker noting this site’s history before the fort was built, as the Treaty of Spring Wells was signed here. This agreement between the U.S. and Native American tribes ease tensions after the War of 1812.

The newer guard house, located between the entrance and the parking lot

Below are some more photos from our tour:

We really enjoyed this informative tour of historic Fort Wayne. The fort is open for anyone to visit from May – October on Saturdays and Sundays (typically 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) The fort is located at 6325 West Jefferson Ave. You can book a guided tour with the Historic Fort Wayne Coalition from May to October for a small fee. If you’re looking to learn more about Detroit history, Fort Wayne is a great place to visit!