Fort Nassau

Fort Nassau was a rectangular wooden building measuring roughly 36 feet long and 26 feet wide, surrounded by a square wooden stockade and a protective moat. The structure functioned as both a defensive position and a warehouse for commercial exchange with local indigenous peoples.

Established in 1614 by Hendrick Christiaensen, it was the first Dutch outpost in North America along the Hudson River near present-day Albany. Two successive floods damaged the settlement, prompting the Dutch to build a replacement fort one mile north that would eventually grow into the city.

The name connected the post to the Dutch royal House of Orange-Nassau, reflecting the Netherlands' presence in early colonial trade networks along the river.

The site is located on Westerlo Island, which can be challenging to reach and explore due to wetland conditions and limited remaining structures. Plan visits for drier seasons when paths are more accessible and easier to navigate.

The fort was never a single imposing structure but rather a cluster of simple wooden buildings designed for trade rather than military defense. Archaeological work has uncovered remarkably little physical evidence due to repeated flooding and the passage of centuries.