Fort at No. 4 reenacts French and Indian War in Charlestown

The Fort at No. 4 turned its Charlestown stockade into a hands-on lesson in frontier history over the weekend, as reenactors brought soldiers, rangers, militiamen and civilians into a scene set in 1759. The event gave visitors a closer look at how the Upper Connecticut River Valley’s past still anchors local tourism, education and community identity.

The two-day program, held June 6 and June 7, was billed as Allies & Adversaries: A French and Indian War Reenactment. The museum framed the experience as a chance to step into the contested frontier along the Connecticut River, where alliances shifted and survival depended on diplomacy, courage and cooperation. For families and other visitors, that meant watching period roles and battlefield life come alive in a place designed to interpret the region’s colonial past rather than simply display it.

The Fort at No. 4 says it was founded in 1947 as an open-air history museum dedicated to the heritage of the Upper Connecticut River Valley, and that it recreates details of the original 1746 structures that once stood there. Historical background preserved by the museum traces the first settlement of plantation No. 4 to Stephen Farnsworth and his brothers Samuel and David Farnsworth, along with families including the Stevens, Hastings, Willard, Parker and Johnson families. The land grant was purchased by original speculators in 1735, and settlers arrived in 1740.

The site’s interpretive value reaches beyond Charlestown. The museum says Fort at No. 4 was an important waypoint during the French and Indian Wars because it sat halfway between Boston and Fort Crown Point, a position that made the post relevant to military movement and supply routes. The Fort at No. 4 also says the reenactment featured experienced participants portraying 18th-century soldiers, rangers, militiamen and civilians from the 1750s, reinforcing its role as a living-history site rather than a static display.

The weekend event drew added attention from Lily Tang Williams, a 2026 Republican candidate for New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District, whose campaign has centered on federal spending cuts, border security and America First policies. The Fort at No. 4 was added to the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places in July 2020, and its continued draw shows how Charlestown’s history can still carry economic value for Sullivan County, especially when it reaches beyond the hard-core history crowd.