Fort Anne, National historic site and military museum in Annapolis Royal, Canada.
Fort Anne is a national historic site and military museum in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. Its Vauban earthwork, built from 1702, has four bastions named Bourgogne, Dauphin, Berry and Donjon. The museum occupies the 1797 Officer's Quarters, renovated in the 1930s. Two black iron cannons stand on pale stone platforms above a rough stone retaining wall with an arched, gated opening.
The site was founded in 1629 by Scottish settlers as Charles Fort and changed hands between French and British forces several times over the following century before Britain took permanent control in 1713. Each occupying power left its mark on the earthworks and buildings that still stand on the grounds today.
The name Annapolis Royal honours Queen Anne, who granted the town its royal title after the 1710 British capture; the fort itself was renamed Fort Anne in the first half of the 19th century. Each August, Natal Day events fill the grounds, and the museum in the 1797 Officer's Quarters displays artifacts from the Acadian, Mi'kmaq and later communities.
The grounds are open year-round and walking the earthworks in any season gives a good sense of the layout. The museum building is open from May through October, and sturdy shoes help on the uneven terrain.
The powder magazine on the grounds was built in 1708 and is recognized as the oldest military building in Canada still standing in its original location. It is also the oldest building managed by Parks Canada, making it older than the country it now represents.
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