Blockhouse of Fort Morris

Soon after the town of Liverpool was established in 1759 a blockhouse, or small fortified building, was constructed in the original town plot. According to Tupper's Plan of Liverpool, Nova Scotia 1760 - 1775 (at right), the Fort Morris blockhouse was located on Lot 9 of Block C. This would put it near the corner of Lawrence and Wolfe Streets in the northwest corner of Liverpool.

Tupper created this map about 100 years ago based on research into the early layout and property distribution in the area. A note on Tupper's plan reads: "Blockhouse of Fort Morris Lieut. Jonathan Diman Ebenezer Dexter lived in it in 1762."

The A.F. Church Map (at left) from 1887 does not show any buildings on Lot 9. Air photos from the 20th century (1945 to 1966) show the former CN right-of-way cutting diagonally through the property. The photos also seem to show a small structure on the southern edge of Lot 9, to the west of the railway line. In a 1976 air photo, the small structure appears to be a garage associated with a house that fronts on Wolfe Street. By 1992, the garage has been enlarged or replaced. No sign of a structure that might be the blockhouse is visible in any of the photos.

Looking at the site today, one can see that a 20-foot wide strip was excavated through the site when the railway was constructed early last century. The west side of the property has been filled for the construction of the garage. Approximately half of the original "Lot 9" has been dug up, and the chances of finding artifacts dating to the 18th century have been greatly reduced The Archaeology Committee has decided to put this site on the "look at later" list.


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