Fort Lawrence National Historic Site of Canada

Fort Lawrence was designated a national historic site of Canada in 1923 because:

• Fort Lawrence was erected in 1750 by British troops for the defense of the isthmus of Chignecto and abandoned in 1755 after the capture of Fort Beauséjour.

A highly strategic area, the site was occupied for nearly a century before the construction of Fort Lawrence. In 1672, Jacques Bourgeois and other settlers from Port Royal founded the Acadian village of Beaubassin, which grew into a thriving village and one of the largest Acadian settlements. However, in 1750, the French learned of an advancing British army under Major Charles Lawrence and burned the village to the ground. The French, under Louis de la Corne, Chevalier de la Corne, withdrew west across the Missaguash River where they began securing territory. Although Major Lawrence was mandated to secure territory east of the River, his forces were unable to secure the eastern ridge, and French soldiers, along with their Acadian and aboriginal allies drove the British from the area. The British withdrew to Halifax, returning in the fall of 1750 to the east side of the Missaguash River, where they erected Fort Lawrence, which consisted of three large wooden barrack frames and two wooden blockhouses. The French responded by constructing Fort Beauséjour on the opposite ridge the following year. In 1755, a British expedition captured Fort Beauséjour and renamed it Fort Cumberland. It became the British garrison and Fort Lawrence was abandoned.