Road Town Fort

The fort subsequently fell into ruin, and in the 1960s the Bougainvillea clinic (known locally as the Purple Palace for fairly obvious reasons) was built on top of the old structure.

[1] The strong room of the original fort, which was once the Territory's treasury, still survives today, and is now used as a storeroom by the clinic.

However, the main fortification was built by the British in the late 18th century around the outbreak of the American War of Independence as part of the general upgrade of the fortifications of Road Town, and it was garrisoned throughout the Napoleonic Wars.

After the end of the Napoleonic Wars, and the abolition of slavery the fort was eventually abandoned as the Territory sank into economic decline, and the expense of its upkeep could no longer be justified.

The combination of the formidable martial defences of Road Town, and relatively small strategic and economic importance of Tortola persuaded both foreign colonial powers and privateers and pirates alike to focus on other targets within the region.