It was built by the Dutch in 1649 as Fort Crèvecœur, and is two days' march from Elmina and to the east of Accra on a rocky point between two lagoons.

[2] Fort Crèvecœur was built in 1642 as a simple factory and then enlarged in 1649 by the Dutch West India Company.

It was named after Fort Crèvecœur in 's-Hertogenbosch in the Dutch Republic, which had played a crucial role in the Siege of 's-Hertogenbosch.

[4] At the end of 1781 Captain Thomas Shirley in the frigate HMS Leander, together with the sloop-of-war Alligator, sailed for the Dutch Gold Coast with a convoy consisting of a few merchant-vessels and transports.

[6] Fort Crèvecoeur was completely destroyed, and rebuilt in 1839 by Dutch master of works Hubertus Varlet.