Fort Deshler in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, was a French and Indian War fortification built by Adam Deshler, who supplied provisions for provincial forces during the war.

The fortified stone blockhouse, built in about 1760, was about 40 feet long and 30 feet wide, with walls 2 1/2 feet thick. It also served as Deshler’s home. Adjoining the building was a large wooden building, suitable as barracks for 20 soldiers and for storing military supplies. However, there is no evidence the fort was ever garrisoned; it instead served as a refuge and rendezvous point for settlers in the region.

After the war, the building remained in the Deshler family until 1899, when the building and its remaining 151 acres were sold to the Coplay Cement Company. Never preserved, the building deteriorated until it finally collapsed in about 1940.

The fort was located near the present-day intersection of Pennsylvania Route 145 and Chestnut Street, between Egypt and Coplay, Pennsylvania. Today, all that is left is a historic marker.

 

©Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated October 2026.

Also See:

American Forts Photo Gallery

Forts & Presidios Across America

Pennsylvania Forts

Pennsylvania – The Keystone State

See Sources.