Old Fort Western was built in 1754 at Cushnoc, an Abenaki name for the site of an important 17th-century Plymouth Colony trading post. Its main house, or barrack, is New England's oldest surviving wooden fort building and symbolizes the early economic, political and social aspirations and achievements of the village that became Augusta, Maine's capital city, in 1797. The City of Augusta has owned Old Fort Western since 1922, and the site, original main house and fort compound were restored in 1988 as part of Augusta's City Center. Today, Old Fort Western is a nationally accredited historic house museum with exhibits, tours, hands-on activities and educational programs focused on 18th-century life on the Kennebec River.
