Fort Wayne is located at the foot of Livernois Avenue, fronting on the Detroit River, which at this point is about a mile wide to the Canadian shore.

The underlying reason for thus locating Fort Wayne has never been fully explained, even by army experts, because the fort as such, was never used for military purposes, except for housing troops. The moat around the fort proper, was never filled with water; in fact, no provision for filling it has ever been indicated by, or on any of the engineering drawing.

The original fort walls, revetments, bastions, demi-dune were designed and built under the supervision of Lieut. (later General) Montgomery C. Meigs.

The fort was built over the years 1844-47 when tensions were high along the border with Canada. There was talk of war with England over a border dispute concerning the Oregon territory and the entire U.S.-Canadian border was being fortified.

The War of 1812 was still a fresh memory. The British captured Detroit during that conflict and local Indian tribes had sided with the British, slaughtering an army of Kentuckians at Monroe.

During Canada's patriot War of the 1830's, Canadian revolutionaries attempting to overthrow English rule were sheltered and armed by American sympathizers in Detroit.

With feelings running so high, Detroiters demanded a stronghold to protect the city from British and Canadian assault.

Fort Wayne was built on a military campsite that dated back to 1796. The new fort was named after Gen. Anthony Wayne, who gained fame in the Revolutionary War and later in campaigns against the Indians.

The threat of war with Canada faded but the new fort grew in importance as the possibility of war with the southern states loomed.

The fort expanded from campsite to full fledged fort status with the outbreak of the Civil War, and became a training ground for volunteers on their way to Civil War battlefields.

No siege ever threatened the base of masonry and brick seven and a half feet thick and none of the six brass cannons were ever used, nor were any of the guns mounted 'en barbette' fired over the parapet.

The fort played a major role in both world wars. During the first world war it served as motor supply, labor, construction and engineer unit headquarters and housed both a motorcycle company and an aero squadron.

The following is a chronological summary of the history of Fort Wayne:

1841 - Fort Wayne was authorized, and. $50,000 appropriated by Congress for a site and buildings.

1842 - Site selected on Detroit River as above, and twenty-three acres acquired by the Government to erect fort.

1843 - Work on fort walls and revetments begun.

1845 – Sally-ports and demi-lune facing the river completed; large part of fort walls, including gun emplacements, still uncompleted: See date on stone over entrance to East Fort.

1846 - Entire fort proper (no buildings) completed, including moat and approaches.

1847 - Old Barracks authorized. Shot furnaces (since demolished) started.

1848 - Cornerstone of old Barracks laid; Powder House started.

1849 - Barracks (and other small buildings in fort, since demolished; completed. Kitchens and bath douses were separated from barracks proper.

1851 - Entire fort, including all masonry, moat, tunnels and underground gun emplacements, completed except for some circular gun irons in bastions.

The fort was not actually occupied by the Army until 1866. The Fort Wayne Post gradually acquired more land and grew to 90.03 acres. After completion of fort proper, the development of the post consisted in buildings of all kinds - officers quarters, company houses, hospital, shops, recreation building, commissary, guard house, garage, stables, etc, the building being continued as late as 1931.

The fort was built entirely from designs by engineers in the U.S. War Department, and under their supervision.

1937 - The fort was renovated by the federal Works Progress Administration

1939-45 - Became the largest motor vehicle and parts depot in the world. 

Post WWII - Served as a recruitment and induction depot

1964 - De-commissioned and portions of the site were turned over to the city.

1967-70 - The Detroit Housing Commission took over some of the buildings to house families that had been burned out of their homes during the 1967 Detroit riot. All were gone by 1970.

1971 - The federal government transferred another 30 acres to the city. The Army Corps of Engineers continued to use 15 acres as a Great Lakes Boatyard.

1970's - Historic restoration efforts failed to keep up with vandals. But despite this, visitors still trooped through the popular attraction on weekends

1973  - The Smithsonian Institution put together an exhibition of Revolutionary War papers at Fort Wayne that drew a greater-than-life-sized portrait of the fort's namesake.

1977 - Fort Wayne curator Dr. William Phoenix established a living history program with workers dressed in authentic 1850s military uniforms and civilian costumes conducting tours. They demonstrated cannon blasts and recreated military drills and everyday life each weekend.

1990 - 16 part-time workers overseen by the Detroit Historical Museum with funding from the Detroit Historical Society demanded to become full-time city workers with benefits. They hired labor lawyer Barbara Harvey to press their case at the Michigan Employment Relations Commission. The city fired them, leaving no one to man the fort.

1992 - Closed to the public in 1992. Prior to closing, the fort attracted about 15,000 visitors a year. Many Detroit-area veterans were inducted into military service there.

1998 - Wayne County voters pass $3-Million Dollar tax to help restore Fort Wayne. City officials and country officials are unable to agree on conditions for money to be used and administration of facilitates so money goes unspent.

Currently - Since it was closed to the public in 1992, nothing has been done to the Fort other than occasional lawn maintenance. The buildings are in dire need of repairs with some buildings near collapse. City officials estimate the repairs to be near $20-Million. The real problem here is that a piece of American History is being neglected and we as citizens don't even enjoy the right to view our historical site. The only events that occur are soccer games on the parade grounds and an occasional flea market put on by the museum. The Fort is still owned by the City of Detroit and run by the Detroit Historical Museum. On site are the original Fort, the added buildings built in the 1930's, Indian Burial Mound, Great Lakes Indian Museum and the Tuskegee Airmen Museum. There are also warehouses on site stuffed with historical artifacts, ranging from old cars to authentic costumes. The complex includes a 12-acre parade ground. Please go to the Maps and Photos page for a walk-though of some old and new photos.