Fort Henry: An Illustrated History

Barbara Robertson is the author of Wilfrid Laurier: The Great
Conciliator and the co-author of The Well-Filled Cupboard.

Stephen Mecredy has written a straightforward account of the life and
times of Fort Henry in Kingston, Ontario. The fort has had a varied
history, serving as a defence against American invasion, a place of
internment, and, finally, a tourist attraction.

During the War of 1812, Kingston was the vital link between Upper
Canada, the St. Lawrence River, and Britain itself. Without it, neither
soldiers nor supplies could reach the colony to defend it against
American invasion. A makeshift fort was devised, but after the war more
elaborate plans were formed. These included the building of the Rideau
Canal as well as Fort Henry, both hugely expensive projects for British
taxpayers. In fact, Fort Henry was never attacked, though there were a
number of anxious moments before the withdrawal of British troops in
1870.

Fort Henry’s career as a place of internment was intermittent. After
the Rebellion of 1837, convicted rebels awaiting transportation were
held in Fort Henry. During World War I, despite its decrepit condition
after decades of neglect, the fort was used as a place of internment for
enemy aliens. During World War II, it served as a POW camp. 

It is as a tourist attraction that Fort Henry has been most
successful. By the 1930s, the fort was in an advanced state of decay,
but amazingly, the federal and Ontario governments were able to reach an
agreement to share the costs of its restoration. Ronald Way, the
director of the restoration, had the innovative idea of establishing the
Fort Henry Guard “to breathe life into the inanimate fortress”—as,
indeed, it did. Opened in 1938, Fort Henry resumed life as a living
history museum and history site in 1948.

Mecredy’s history, which includes a description of how the fort
functioned and how the 19th-century soldiers lived, should make a very
useful guidebook for visitors. The photographs are clear and
illuminating, but the most interesting

of the illustrations are the historical ones.