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The original fort on this
site was built in the late 1640's by Governor Charnisay and by 1650 the fort
had become an administrative centre for the area. The fort was allowed to fall
into disrepair and in 1672 it was repaired by Sieur de Martignon and renamed
Fort Martignon. This fort also fell into disrepair and in 1699-1700 Joseph
Robineay de Villebon built a new fort on this site, naming it Fort St. Jean. In
1749, French troops were sent to the mouth of the St. John river and built Fort
Menagouche on the site of the ruined Fort St. Jean. Fort Menagouche was
partially destroyed in July of 1755, when the French withdrew in the face of
British troops.
Colonel Robert Monckton built Fort Frederick on the
same site in 1758. In August of 1775, the fort was captured by Americans, who
burnt it before withdrawing. The fort was rebuilt but again allowed to
deteriorate. In response to the War of 1812, the fort was repaired, and in 1813
it was converted into a magazine for the other defensive works on the west side
of the harbour. In 1813, the fort's armament was two 12 pdr. guns on wooden
carriages, but these may have been for defence of the magazine rather than to
aid in the defence of the harbour.
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