Fort Gratiot

Fort Gratiot stood at the meeting of the Saint Clair River and Lake Huron in eastern Michigan, guarding a strategic Great Lakes water junction. Built by the Army in 1814 and named for engineer Charles Gratiot, it served until 1822, was rebuilt on a smaller scale in 1828, and remained in intermittent military use until 1879, with final closure in 1895. The wooden stockade included log foundations, earth embankments, and likely a two-story blockhouse. Nearby construction of Fort Gratiot Light tied the area’s military and maritime history together. Surviving buildings were later moved, studied archaeologically, acquired by the Port Huron Museum, and restored between 2012 and 2024.

Port Huron, Michigan · United States