- Address
- 115 Cavendish Square
- Type
- Military Defence Installation
- Designated
- 1952
Fort William
115 Cavendish Square, St. John's
About Fort William
National Historic Site status goes to 23 places in St. John's, Fort William among them. Fort William dates from 1697–1698. 3 neighbours on the registers lie within 400 m.
Fort William National Historic Site of Canada, of which there are no visible remains, is marked by a Historic Sites and Monuments Board plaque located on a retaining wall at the corner of Cavendish Square and Duckworth Street in downtown St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. The original fort was located in an area that has been significantly altered by urban development since the fort’s demolition in 1881. Official recognition refers to the plaque surrounded by a five-metre radius.
From the Canadian Register of Historic Places, Fort William National Historic Site of Canada · Open Government Licence – Canada · quoted as the register has it
National Historic Sites are places the Minister of Environment designates, on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board, for their national significance.
Make it a walk: 5 historic places in about 15 minutes
St. John's · about 800 m on foot, as the crow flies
- 1Fort WilliamStart here
- 2St. Thomas Rectory / Commissariat House and GardenNational Historic Site · 200 m on
- 3Government HouseNational Historic Site · 200 m on
- 4Colonial BuildingProvincial historic site · 200 m on
- 5Bishop Feild CollegeCity of St. John's heritage site · 200 m on
1 within 300 m
Every place on the record within this distance; each opens its own page.
Questions about Fort William
When was Fort William built?
By its record, Fort William dates from 1697–1698.
What is Fort William?
Fort William became a National Historic Site in 1952.
Is there a photo of Fort William?
Wikimedia Commons has some, freely licensed. This site shows a photo only from its own copy, with the photographer and licence named; otherwise the place’s record takes its spot.
Can you visit Fort William?
You can see it from the street, while entry depends on its current use.
Is Fort William protected?
The designation recognizes its national significance; it doesn’t by itself protect a building the federal government doesn’t own. Provincial or municipal designation may.
Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada (Parks Canada).
Sources: Parks Canada, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations · Canadian Register of Historic Places (federal extract) · Wikidata (CC0) for map points, other names and articles.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).