Fort Massachusetts was part of a “line of forts” that extended across Northern Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire and Vermont.  They were supposed to provide protection to English settlers from attacks by French soldiers from Canada with their Native American allies during King George’s War (1744-1748.) However, they were not always effective.  On August 9, 1746, Fort Massachusetts was attacked.  Three English soldiers were killed, about 20 people who had harbored in the fort for safety were captured and marched to Canada, and the fort was burned. It was rebuilt the following year, but never saw much use and was abandoned until the 1930s, when it was rebuilt as a tourist attraction. Today, that is gone too, except for the chimney and fireplace which sit in the parking lot of a supermarket.