About This Website

The creation of this website––to educate the visitor about this historic site, while stressing its importance to its surrounding communities––was the catalyst for the formation of the Friends of Fort Massachusetts, an all-volunteer organization, founded in 2016 by Craig A. Chicoine, Wendy Champney, and Susan Watson; seeking to preserve, improve and help maintain the historic Fort Massachusetts site. However, I had severed ties with the other founding members because of fundamental differences. It is my belief that the community at large should be informed of the options offered by the former owners of this historic site and involved in the decisions; not a select few. And although we did not lack in our vision and mission statements, I feel that there was a lack of cohesion when it came to our vision. And I believe that we needed a better-qualified president (a position I held until my resignation) to move us forward to help reach our goal.

The group would later evolve, under new direction, into Save Fort Massachusetts Memorial, Inc., under the umbrella of the North Adams Historical Society.

In 2017, the Golub Corporation donated the site to the City of North Adams.

We must strive to preserve our historic sites, for they are some of our most tangible, authentic links to our past. And when it comes to Fort Massachusetts, that is our primary goal––to draw public awareness to this historic site and educate the visitor about the history of Fort Massachusetts and the impact it had on the development of our community.

Friends of Fort Massachusetts is an online community who have the site's best interest at heart. We have created this website as a means to help educate the visitor and, through the use of social media (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and our blog), spread the word of the history of this forgotten historical site.

This website will remain a testament to this historic site. Together, we can work at preserving this historical site––the origin of our community.

~C.A. Chicoine

Our Vision

To preserve the site of Fort Massachusetts as a public park––Fort Massachusetts Memorial Park.

Our Mission

The mission of the Friends of Fort Massachusetts is to preserve, commemorate, and protect the site of Fort Massachusetts by drawing public awareness to this historic site, organizing volunteers for special projects, and of course, making new Friends for the Friends of Fort Massachusetts.

You may contact us via email: Friends@FriendsofFortMass.org