The Story of South Wilbraham’s “Fort”

Known locally as “The Fort,” this modest house carries a history far larger than its size suggests. Built about 1780, the structure began its life not at its present address, but along Chapin Road in what was then South Wilbraham, near the banks of the Scantic River. By 1810, the main portion of the house stood on the left side of the driveway to what is now 19 Chapin Road, positioned much like a gatekeeper’s lodge guarding the road and river crossing. Its placement explains the long-standing mystery of the well located near the road, which survives as quiet evidence of the building’s original site.

It was here, in 1810, that Sarah Morris Chaffee was born. She was the daughter of Edward and Mercy (Flynt) Morris and later became the mother of Lucy (Chaffee) Alden, South Wilbraham’s noted poetess. Lucy Alden herself later recalled the house in its original location, sharing her memories with Rev. Charles B. Bliss, providing a rare firsthand connection between the structure and the people who lived within its walls.

Sometime after Sarah Morris’s birth, the house was moved to its present location at 438 Main Street, in what is now Hampden. The relocation placed it in a sparsely settled area, with few, if any, neighboring dwellings nearby. This isolation proved intentional. At its new site, the building was used as a storage facility for powder and ammunition belonging to the local company of the Massachusetts State Militia. Should an accidental explosion occur, there would be minimal risk to surrounding property or lives. From this practical military role came the enduring local name: “The Fort.”

The house located at 438 Main Street, Hampden, which at one time was called the "Fort" Carl C. Howlett

The use of the house for militia purposes fits squarely within Wilbraham’s long militia tradition, which grew out of the broader Massachusetts Bay Colony militia system. From the seventeenth century through the early nineteenth century, nearly all able-bodied men, generally between the ages of sixteen and sixty, were legally required to enroll in their town’s militia company. These were not professional soldiers, but farmers, tradesmen, and family men who trained locally and answered calls to service when needed.

From 1792 through the late 1830s, South Wilbraham maintained an active militia company, which frequently trained alongside the North Wilbraham company on the green near the Mile Tree, at the crossroads of Main Street and Tinkham Road. Among those who served as captains over the years were Charles Sessions, Comfort Chaffee, Jr., and John Carpenter. Stephen West held the post of quartermaster sergeant, and his son, John West, later rose to the rank of major. A tangible reminder of this service survives in the Hampden Library, which holds a photocopy of Stephen West’s militia commission, dated 1792 and signed by Colonel Thomas Dwight.

Wilbraham’s militia companies were part of the larger county and provincial military structure, supporting formations such as the Hampshire Regiment, organized in Springfield in 1639. Townsmen from Wilbraham and South Wilbraham served during the French and Indian War, the American Revolutionary War, periods of unrest such as Shays’ Rebellion, and into the early Republic, including the War of 1812. At one point, Wilbraham even organized a unit described as a Field Artillery Battery, though detailed records of its specific armament have not survived.

Militiamen typically supplied their own equipment. A standard kit included a flintlock musket, usually of large caliber, along with paper cartridges, lead balls, black powder, flints, and often a bayonet or sword. Ammunition stores such as those kept at The Fort would have included loose powder, prepared cartridges, spare flints, and related military supplies, materials essential for musters, training, and potential mobilization.

Ownership of the house at the time of its move is not known with certainty, but records and family tradition indicate that the William R. Sessions family lived there for a time. William J. Sessions, later well known locally, was born in the house. Well into the twentieth century, reminders of its early domestic life remained. As late as the 1950s, the original fireplace in the cellar, where all cooking had once been done, was still intact and in its original position.

Henry Edson’s historical map showing the locations of the “Fort.” Arrow 1 marks the original site of the house; Arrow 2 marks the present location. Old Meeting House Museum.

By 1870, the property was owned by the Lacousic Woolen Company, which rented the house to mill employees. It was likely during this period that the ell additions were constructed, adapting the once-isolated powder house and dwelling into a more conventional worker’s home.

Today, “The Fort” stands as a rare survivor, one structure that embodies early domestic life, local literary heritage, and Wilbraham’s citizen-soldier tradition. Its walls recall a time when national defense rested not in distant garrisons, but in small towns, local greens, and humble buildings placed just far enough away to protect the community they served.