Fort Ethan Allen was a U.S. army installation in Vermont, named for American Revolutionary War figure Ethan Allen. First serving as a cavalry post in 1894, today it is the center of a designated national historic district straddling the town line between Colchester and Essex. Locally, it is known simply as "The Fort."
The fort was formerly home to the 1st Squadron, 3rd Cavalry from 1919 to 1941, the 7th Field Artillery, less 2nd Battalion from 1922 to 1940, the 3rd Battalion, 13th Infantry from 1928 to 1931, the 2nd Battalion, 7th Field Artillery from 1933 to 1940, elements of 9th Quartermaster Regiment, and the 84th Quartermaster Battalion.
It was deactivated by the Army in 1944, and is now the main training ground and headquarters of the Vermont National Guard.
While there are some newer structures (notably college housing, Vermont Public Television), the original buildings are put to good use. Various businesses occupy what used to be horse barns; barracks have been converted to apartments, and the "Officers Row" houses are condominiums. An abandoned theater and church are often used for firefighting practice. The former base hospital is a nursing home. Despite all the activity, it is a quiet neighborhood with many families.