Fort Mifflin

Gen William Howe

Fort Mifflin and our "rebel army" impressed William Howe, the British Commander. After days and days of destruction from British Warships, the Constitutional Army would rebuild damaged Fort walls and exchange exhausted men for fresh troops from Ft. Mercer, just a mile across the Delaware. With a system of communication as simple as raising a blue flag, our soldiers just across the River understood the message and the need. They would row silently past the British warships during the night to obtain supplies and fresh men from across the river. Amazing ingenuity in 1777. Commander Howe is quoted as saying, "The rebels did more in one night than my whole army would have done in a month." Are you proud to be a rebel?

The Soldier's Barracks

Originally built during the reconstruction of the fort 1794 to 1798 and consisted of 7 rooms. Five of the rooms would accommodate 25 men and the others were smaller and were for the non-commissioned officers. During the 1835 to 39 restoration the roof was changed to provide living space on the second floor. 2 walls were removed on the first floor, leaving only 3 of the original 5 rooms. 5 large fireplaces identify the rooms and still exist today.
Today you can tour 4 of the 5 rooms. One is our museum/exhibit room where you can learn about the history of the fort and the surrounding area and the siege of 1777. A diorama exists to really get the feel of what it was like back then. Another room is the bunk room. This is set up like it was back in the day. Wooden bunks are there and reenactors along with scouts can spend the night. Did you know 2 of the bunks date back to the Civil War? The end room is open space for more bunks or displays. The smallest room is set up like a medical room. The last room is used for storage.
Stop by the fort to learn more. We are open Wednesdays to Sundays from 10 to 4.