Thank You for Visiting Fort Halifax Park Online!

This website will provide you an historical overview of the frontier fort Fort Halifax, the 1800's farmstead, the nature park, as well as information about current and upcoming activities. Additionally, there is information about the Non-Profit Organization, The Friends of Fort Halifax Park, that serves as the support group for Halifax Township assisting with maintenance, development, management, and the educational, historical, and nature programing of Fort Halifax Park.

​Discover Fort Halifax

Fort Halifax was built in 1756 with the purpose of providing safe shelter for pack trains passing from Fort Hunter (Harrisburg) to Fort Augusta (Sunbury.)  Due to the French and Indian War, settlers in the area regularly encountered deadly conflicts with Native Americans. Fort Halifax was built as a solution to the problem.
Read More

​Meetings, Events, and News

Friends of Fort Halifax Park Inc. - Board Meetings

Upcoming Friends of Fort Halifax Park, Inc. (FoFHP) Board Meeting*:
FoFHP will hold its next Board Meeting on Thursday, July 8, 2021.  The meeting will be held at Fort Halifax Park at 6PM. 
 
Remaining 2021 meeting dates are:​​

• August 12
• September 9
• October 14
• November 11
• December 9

---

*Board Meetings are held the 2nd Thursday of every month at 6:00pm.  Meetings may be held at:

• the Halifax Area Historical Society Building at 3rd and Market St.,
• Fort Halifax Park,
• or via phone conference (COVID-19 procedure). 

​​All members, and those interested, are welcome to attend!  We have an "After Meeting Social" with light refreshments.  Until further notice everyone will socially distance and follow current COVID-19 guidelines.  We would like to say thanks to everyone for their support.

Vertical Divider

Events

Due to Covid-19 uncertainties FoFHP will make decisions regarding events, programs, and fundraisers as soon as possible to keep you informed.  Please check back here often!

Current Schedule of Events: ​

• June 13 - 28 - FoFHP is delighted to host the Juniata College Cultural Resource Institute Fort Halifax Rediscovery Project at Fort Halifax Park. Friends of Fort Halifax Park, Inc. is scheduling support volunteers to assist with food set-up/clean-up, and miscellaneous other duties, as well as assisting at the dig.  If you would like to be part of this exciting archaeological event to find Fort Halifax please email us with your name and a phone number where we can reach you! ​
• June 19, 2021 - Butterflies, Birds, Bees, & Blooms - A Pollinator Workshop (4B's Workshop) will be held at Fort Halifax Park from 9:30am to 12:30pm.  Alan Corson is our guest speaker regarding Monarchs and other butterflies.  Registration is requested.  Click here to register and find out more.
• July 2021 - FoFHP/SRTA Canoe and Kayak Paddle  Cancelled. 
• July 24, 2021 - Yoga, Kayak & Lunch Fundraiser with Appalachian Kayak - location TBD beginning at 9:00am.  Join us for Yoga by Val, take a trip up to Millersburg for a leisurely 5.5 mile paddle back to Fort Halifax and then enjoy a nice lunch.  Reservations required.  Call 717-805-8980 Cost is $85.00 or $70.00 with your own Kayak. 
• July 31, 2021 - Rocketry Club (SPAAR) Rocket launches from the east side of the park. View a few pictures from their May 1 launch (click) at the park.
• August 21, 2021 - Halifax Fire Department, Township, and Borough Annual Summer Fireworks Display at Fort Halifax Park - details coming soon.

View Past Events:

• Festivals
• Fireworks

---

Current and Important News

Follow along here as the school works to find Fort Halifax!
Watchers are welcome.  We are not currently scheduling volunteers, so if you are interested in seeing an archaeology dig-in-process please feel free to stop by!  You may get lucky and have a chance to get your hands dirty.

Friends of Fort Halifax Park, Inc. is thrilled to announce the following:

• Fort Halifax Park chosen as Preservation Pennsylvania - PA at Risk site!  Read more here!
  
  

​The group has been awarded three grants toward funding for the Juniata College Cultural Resources Institute "2021 Fort Halifax Rediscovery Project" field school scheduled for this summer.  FoFHP, Inc. would like to to thank these three organizations, and everyone so far for their support of this important historical endeavor to find Fort Halifax!
        Funding for this project is almost complete!

• The National Trust for Historic Preservation — Louis J. Appel Jr. Preservation Fund - $10,000.00 grant
• The Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission Keystone Historic Preservation - $17,746.00 grant
• The Stabler Foundation, a local charitable foundation providing grants to Non-Profit organizations and institutions located or providing their primary services in central and/or eastern Pennsylvania - $3,500.00 grant
  Additional Funding Initiatives:
• THERE IS STILL TIME!  An anonymous benefactor has stepped up offering to match collective donations of up to $2,100 to secure the last $2,200 FoFHP, Inc. needs.  FoFHP is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. If you would like to support this funding effort to find Fort Halifax you can donate via your tax deductible check made payable to "FoFHP".  Please mail your check to:
  FRIENDS of FORT HALIFAX PARK, INC.
  Attention: Discovery of Fort Halifax Project
  PO Box 565
  Halifax, PA 17032​
• Flyrod Raffle -  Congratulations to MURRAY SMALL of Boiling Springs who won the beautifully hand-crafted flyrod!  State Representative Sue Helm drew the winning ticket on Saturday, May 1 at Fort Halifax Park.  Many thanks to everyone for supporting this raffle, to Joe Baker, and Representative Sue Helm.

---

---

National Register of Historic Places -  FoFHP received official notification in December 2020 that the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) has designated Fort Halifax Park and Farmstead eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.  This designation will assist the "Friends" in the process of qualifying for additional grants for the stabilization, restoration, and preservation of the 1800's Schweitzer Bank Barn, companion Farmhouse, and all outbuildings.  The Sycamore Allee, part of Route 147 that bisects Fort Halifax is already on the National Register. ​

---