Fort Halifax Park

Thank You for Visiting Fort Halifax Park Online!

This website will provide you with a Park overview of the newly rediscovered French and Indian War Fort (1756), Fort Halifax, its history, the 1800's farmstead, the nature park, as well as information about past, current, and upcoming activities. Additionally, there is information about the non-profit membership organization, Friends of Fort Halifax Park Inc.. The Friends members, volunteers, and partners serve as the support group for owner, Halifax Township, assisting with the preservation and maintenance, development, management, and the educational history and nature, and event programing of Historic Fort Halifax Park and Preserve. Historic Fort Halifax Park and Preserve is 174 acres of passive recreation with picnic areas, the scenic Susquehanna River and Armstrong Creek, walking trails, gardens, and more. Visitors welcome dawn to dusk.

Discover Fort Halifax

Fort Halifax, originally known as "the camp at Armstrong's", was built in 1756 with the purpose of providing safe shelter along the Susquehanna River for supply bateaux's and pack trains passing to and from Fort Hunter (Harrisburg) and Fort Augusta (Sunbury). Due to the French and Indian War, settlers in this area regularly encountered deadly conflicts along this route. Fort Halifax was built as a solution to the problem.
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Meetings, Events, and News

Friends of Fort Halifax Park Inc. - Board Meetings

2024 Board Meeting Dates: Meetings held 2nd Thursday of each month at Yeager House at 6pm - unless otherwise indicated below.

October 10 - Board Nominations Meeting - Thank you to everyone who attended this meeting!
November 14 - Board Elections/General Membership
December 12

If you have something you would like to discuss at a meeting (a suggestion, idea, comment, or concern) contact us via email to be part of the agenda.
Members and the public are always welcome to attend meetings.
All meetings include an "After Meeting Social" with light refreshments.
Memberships are easy, please click here.

Thank you for your support!

Events

Current 2025 Schedule:

Check back here for 2025 events

Current News

FoFHP Plans and Goals -
Many preservation, history, environmental, and education initiatives and programs are always in process for the park.
FoFHP has a successful annual Colonial Festival held every first Saturday in May. The 5B's Pollinator and Garden Faire is a unique and well attended event on the third Saturday of June. We also offer a "Campfire Talk" speaker series periodically.

FoFHP is proud to host successful archaeology field schools with Juniata College. The June '24 field school students found additional artifacts and another amazing stone foundation inside the Fort Halifax (1756) wall area (the orientation of the walls is still being determined). FoFHP secures grants to make these Field Schools happen. We are proud to partner with Dr. Burns and Juniata College, and thank PA Historic Museum Commission Keystone Historic Preservation, The National Trust for Historic Preservation Louis J. Appel, Stabler Foundation, and National Park Service Battlefield Protection, all for their generous grants, and members and organizations who donated, time, food, and funding. We look forward to future digs!

Also, in June '24 we hosted another Heritage Project in partnership with Dauphin County Technical School as part of a skilled trades program. This year nine students, their instructor, partners, and volunteers constructed a beautiful memorial deck in honor of deceased Halifax Emergency Management Coordinator Michael Decker (more information coming soon). An ADA compliant ramp and door have been added, too, to complete some ADA compliance for Yeager House. We continue to be amazed by this education partnership with DCTS! We are looking forward to many more partnership projects with them!

We are working to expand and upgrade the trails, meadows, and gardens too.

Would you like to help and be part of all these exciting programs and future plans? It's easy to become a member. Feel free to contact us via email or phone 223-237-0988, with any questions you may have. Thank you for your support!

Friends of Fort Halifax Park, Inc. receives Community Initiative Award:
Read about this award that FoFHP, Inc. is honored to have received here.
Thank you to the PA State Historic Preservation Office, Joe Baker, Dr. Jonathan Burns, our members, and community!

Additional News of Interest:

Fort Halifax Park chosen as Preservation Pennsylvania - PA at Risk site! Read more here!
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 qualifies Fort Halifax Park (Halifax Township, Owner) for preservation grants that could help with 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.