Mercer's Fort

Mercer's Fort
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania (present day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
Mercer's Fort Location of Mercer's Fort in Pennsylvania
Coordinates	40°26′23″N 79°58′35″W / 40.43972°N 79.97639°W / 40.43972; -79.97639
Type	Military fort
Site history
Built	1759
In use	1759–1760
Garrison information
Past commanders	Captain Hugh Mercer General John Stanwix
Garrison	280-720 troops, mixed militia and army

Mercer's Fort was a temporary fort built by Colonel Hugh Mercer during the winter of 1758–1759, to secure the "forks of the Ohio," at the confluence of the Monongahela River and the Allegheny River, where Mercer was preparing to build Fort Pitt.^{[1]: 7–14} At the time it was loosely known as "the fort at Pittsburgh," and when work on Fort Pitt had progressed, it was sometimes referred to as "the first Fort Pitt." Only later did people call it "Mercer's Fort," leading to confusion with Fort Mercer in New Jersey. The fort initially served to defend the site, but as Fort Pitt neared completion, it was used mostly to lodge workers and to store supplies. In mid-1760 it was partially dismantled, with some buildings converted into a hospital.