Before the Revolutionary War, there was the French and Indian War, a kind of dry run for the colonists in which the British and French contested one another for control of disputed land from Quebec to Ohio. Back in 1759, this corner of New Hampshire [1] was actually the northwestern frontier of the English colonies and bore the brunt of much of the fighting at a nameless colonial fort simply called “No. 4.”
Though it fell into disrepair over the course of 200 years, it has since been rebuilt into the The Fort at No. 4 Living Museum (267 Springfield Rd./Rte. 11, Charlestown, 603/826-5700, www.fortat4.org [2], 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Wed.–Sun. June–Oct., $8 adults, $6 seniors, $5 youth 6–12, free children under 6) stocked by costumed interpreters, some of whom live at the fort year-round. Visitors can participate with soldiers in churning butter, shooting muskets, and passing the time with 18th-century games.
Fort No. 4 also sponsors various historical reenactments over the course of the year.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/new-england/new-hampshire
[2] http://www.fortat4.org