Fort Amherst

HSMBC Plaque Location

St. John's, Newfoundland

Owner/Administrator

 

Date Designated:  1951

Plaque Status:  Plaqued in 1970

Reason for Designation

 Site of 1777 fortifications, St. John's harbour


 

Other Info

 

GPS coordinates: 47 degrees 33'47.88" N,52 degrees 40'49.94" W

 

 

Plaque Text

 

FORT AMHERST

LE FORT  AMHERST

 

The fortification completed on this site in 1777 by Captain Robert Pringle, R.E., was designed to guard the mouth of St. John's harbour, and originally consisted of a tower and gun battery. It was named after Colonel William Amherst, who had recaptured St. John's from the French in 1762. During the two world wars the site was used by Newfoundland and Canadian Forces, who built new gun positions on the tip of the promontory. Few traces of the 18th century post remain.

 

Construit en 1777 par le capitaine Robert Pringle en vue de garder l'entrée du havre de St-Jean, le fort, dont il ne reste que peu de vestiges, n'était composé que d'une tour et d'une batterie. Son nom lui a été donné en l'honneur du colonel William Amherst qui avait repris St-Jean aux Français en 1762. Des troupes du Canada et de Terre-Neuve y furent postées au cours des deux grandes guerres et aménagèrent des batteries de canons au bord du promontoire

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