Discover the history of the Yadkin Valley at the home of Major General William Lenoir.
Fort Defiance was built between 1788 and 1792 and operated as a plantation, US Post Office, and lumber office. The house opened as a historic site in 1978 to preserve it and its grounds.
​
Today, Fort Defiance offers guided and self-guided tours, special events, and field trips focused on the house and grounds, as well as life in the Yadkin Valley region during the 18th and 19th centuries.
​
Fort Defiance Inc. is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
​
Mission Statement
"The purpose of the Corporation is to preserve, research, and enhance the land, buildings, and artifacts of Fort Defiance; to publish and disseminate information about life in what is now Caldwell County, particularly in its Yadkin Valley region during the 18th and 19th Centuries; and to promote the use of properties and information for the education and pleasure of the general public."