Harbert Family Stories

A fort or blockhouse was a structure intended to strengthen the position of the settlers on the frontier. The simplest structure was the blockhouse, which originated in the early wars in Germany. It was a square, two-storied log building, with portholes for muskets on both levels. Many forts were built by or named for some of twentieth century, West Virginia's best-known families. Fort Harbert (pictured at right) was a stockade built in 1775 on Tenmile Creek (Jones Run branch) of the West Fork River in Eagle District, less than two miles from the current town of Lumberport. Thomas Harbert's land grant in this vicinity suggests that he was the builder. These were crude log structures but served as protection for surrounding families when threatened by attack.

On March 3, 1778, settlers who had taken refuge in Harbert’s fort were attacked by Indians. During the fight, Thomas Harbert and his three year old daughter, Celia, were killed. A detailed account of the attack can be found in the book Chronicles of Border Warfare, by Alexander Scott Withers.

Descendants of Thomas grew up and lived with the heritage of that story and in the shadow of the fort. The surrounding countryside is pictured at left.  The small community built around the fort was named at various times "Hardscrabble" and at others "Peaceful Valley." Eventually, the blockhouse was used as a barn. The structure was still standing in 1935; however, after more than 160 years, the dilapidated Harbert blockhouse was torn down.   Thomas’s gggg-grandson, Gary Edward Harbert Sr., lives on some of the old Harbert land. His father, Ted Harbert, tore down the Harbert fort in the 1940s. Gary still has a log from that fort along with several arrowheads found throughout the surrounding ground.  One of those arrowheads is pictured to the left.

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