Fort Malden, Military museum and national historic site in Amherstburg, Canada
Fort Malden, formally Fort Amherstburg, is a National Historic Site in Amherstburg, Ontario, on the Detroit River. Its grounds hold earthworks, an 1819 brick barrack restored to its 1839 appearance, and the Hough House, a former asylum, lumber mill and private residence. A two-storey red brick building with a gabled shingle roof, white-framed windows and a covered entry porch stands among the structures.
Fort Amherstburg was begun in 1786 by the Royal Canadian Volunteers and completed in 1795, when British troops withdrawn from Fort Detroit under the Jay Treaty were reassigned there. In January 1797 it was officially named for General Lord Amherst, though locals called it Fort Malden after the township. It served as Britain's main defence on the Detroit frontier during the War of 1812.
The fort displays uniforms and weapons from different periods, reflecting how Canadian defense forces evolved over time. Visitors can see how these objects shaped soldiers' lives and military practice across generations.
The fort stands on the Detroit River in Amherstburg, with the buildings of the complex grouped close together and a sign panel in front of the main brick structure. The grounds are open to the public under Parks Canada, and the buildings represent different periods, from the 1819 Brick Barrack to the Hough House.
The 1819 Brick Barrack was restored to its 1839 appearance and stands directly across from the Hough House, a building that later served as an asylum, a lumber mill and a private residence. The two buildings together show separate chapters of the fort's past.
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