Fort Allen
Encyclopedia
Fort Allen was a structure, built in 1774 in Hempfield Township
, Pennsylvania
, for protection from Indian attacks.
Roughly 800 pioneer settlers in Hempfield, a large number of them German
, had petitioned the state for aid and protection from Indian attacks. In response to that, Fort Allen was built. It is believed that Fort Allen was named for Andrew Allen of the state's then governing body, the Supreme Executive Council. The fort was commanded by Col. Christopher Truby (in one source, spelled "Trubee"). Fort Allen was a frontier fort for Dunmore's War
in 1774 and the American Revolutionary War
. It was also known as Truby's Blockhouse. It was never involved in an emergency.
There is a stone monument honoring Fort Allen. The monument was erected on May 1, 1929. It is located on the grounds of St. John's Harrold United Church of Christ, which is 150 yards north of where the fort was located . The monument and church are located at the corner of St. John's Church Road and Baltzer Meyer Pike. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission erected a roadside marker on December 12, 1946. It is located at the intersection of Route 136
and Baltzer Meyer Pike. The roadside marker says, "Frontier post built by Pennsylvania German pioneers of the Harrold's and Brush Creek settlements in 1774. It was a refuge from Indians in Dunmore's War and the American Revolution. The site was a little to the south."
Fort Allen Elementary School, which is located in the Hempfield Area School District
, built in 1952, was named after the fort.
Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Hempfield Township is a township in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 43,241 at the 2010 census, making it the largest suburb in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area by population.- Geography :...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, for protection from Indian attacks.
Roughly 800 pioneer settlers in Hempfield, a large number of them German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, had petitioned the state for aid and protection from Indian attacks. In response to that, Fort Allen was built. It is believed that Fort Allen was named for Andrew Allen of the state's then governing body, the Supreme Executive Council. The fort was commanded by Col. Christopher Truby (in one source, spelled "Trubee"). Fort Allen was a frontier fort for Dunmore's War
Dunmore's War
Dunmore's War was a war in 1774 between the Colony of Virginia and the Shawnee and Mingo American Indian nations....
in 1774 and the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. It was also known as Truby's Blockhouse. It was never involved in an emergency.
There is a stone monument honoring Fort Allen. The monument was erected on May 1, 1929. It is located on the grounds of St. John's Harrold United Church of Christ, which is 150 yards north of where the fort was located . The monument and church are located at the corner of St. John's Church Road and Baltzer Meyer Pike. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission erected a roadside marker on December 12, 1946. It is located at the intersection of Route 136
Pennsylvania Route 136
Pennsylvania Route 136 is a long state highway located in Washington, Allegheny, and Westmoreland counties in Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at US 40 & PA 18 in Washington...
and Baltzer Meyer Pike. The roadside marker says, "Frontier post built by Pennsylvania German pioneers of the Harrold's and Brush Creek settlements in 1774. It was a refuge from Indians in Dunmore's War and the American Revolution. The site was a little to the south."
Fort Allen Elementary School, which is located in the Hempfield Area School District
Hempfield Area School District
Hempfield Area School District is a large school district in western PA. It is the largest in Westmoreland County with a resident population of over 50,000, and covers approximately and lies southeast of Pittsburgh...
, built in 1952, was named after the fort.