Old Fort Western is a National Historic Landmark fort, store, and house museum on the Kennebec River in Augusta. The 1754 National Historic Landmark main house is the chief attraction. It is America's oldest surviving wooden military building. This was the site where Captain James Howard commanded a Massachusetts's Provincial garrison from 1754 to 1766, operated a store from 1763 to 1812, and housed his family through the 1840's. They used the fort as a staging area to supply other forts further into the Maine woods. Troop members spent most of their time in routine duty, including boat repair, cooking, baking, and brewing, in addition to helping with re-supply. The fort was also used by Benedict Arnold as a major staging area for his famous expedition to Canada in 1775.

The fort maintains three permanent exhibits: a military exhibit located on the parade ground, the north watchbox, and the south blockhouse; a store exhibit in the original storehouse section of the main house; and an eight-room house exhibit in the original barracks section of the main house.

In 1922, a local newspaper publisher and his son rescued the fort from its decay. They bought the place, financed its restoration, and then donated it to the city of Augusta, which has maintained it ever since. Ongoing restoration work in the many years since then has graced today's visitors with a revealing glimpse into life in the late 1700's on the Maine frontier.

Today the fort is restored to its late 18^th century use by the Howards as a private home and trading post, based on diaries by family members and the 1799 probate records of one of his sons.