Fort Smith Guardhouse

Guardhouse

NPS/Pat Schmidt

Quick Facts

Location:

North end of the Parade Ground

Amenities

3 listed

Accessible Sites, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Wheelchair Accessible

Constructed in 1849, the guardhouse served as the initial check-in point for soldiers, supplies, and visitors to the fort. It was also a place of confinement for soldiers under arrest for offenses like drunkenness, desertion, fighting, and other crimes. After the U.S. Army closed the fort in 1871, the guardhouse was converted to a jail building for the Federal Court, and was primarily used to confine women suspected or convicted of federal crimes.

While the original building no longer stands, a platform with a covered pavilion marks the place where it used to be.