New Flagpole Marks Historic Fort Milestone

For the first time in nearly two and a half centuries, a flag once again flies over Fort Laurens in the same place it did in 1779. On Aug. 1, a new wooden flagpole crafted from a single tree trunk was raised on the spot where the original was  installed just one day before the fort was abandoned. The moment marked a pivotal step in a long-anticipated reconstruction of Ohio’s only Revolutionary War-era fort.  

Fort Laurens, located in Bolivar, was built in 1778 as a strategic outpost during the American Revolution and served as a launching point for a planned attack on Fort Detroit, which was occupied by the British. Although the original fort was short-lived, its legacy as Ohio’s only Revolutionary War fort endures. Today, the site includes a museum that includes the Tomb of the Unknown Patriot and a visible outline of a portion of the original fort.  

Reconstruction efforts are led by the Friends of Fort Laurens Foundation, who have been involved with the site for more than 30 years, in partnership with the Ohio History Connection and the Zoar Community Association.  

Doug Angeloni and Marcia and Martin Zawackey, founding members of the Friends of Fort Laurens, raised the flag on Aug. 1. The flag itself is a 13-star Hutchins’ flag that is accurate to the time the fort was occupied.

Further reconstruction milestones are planned as fundraising and historical research continue, with the goal of eventually rebuilding key portions of the original fort and bringing its story to future generations.  

“This is just one of the many ways we are working with Fort Laurens to bring history back to life,” said Jonathan Brewster, head archaeologist of the Ohio History Connection’s reconstruction project of Fort Laurens, in an Aug. 8, press release. “We were very intentional with the placement of this new flagpole. We want it to be a symbol of our connection to the people who built and defended this site.” 

For more information, visit fortlaurensmuseum.org.

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