The Fort was built on Point Henry during the war of 1812 primarily to defend the nearby naval dockyard. When the Rideau Canal was built as part of a military route connecting Kingston with Montreal, the strategic importance of this site increased. The old fort was replaced by the present structure which was completed in 1836. Garrisoned by units of the British and then the Canadian army until 1890, the fort never saw action, although it was used as a prison for rebels captured during the Rebellions of 1837-38.
