AUGUSTA – At Fort Western, people gathered Sunday to celebrate an anniversary older than the Declaration of Independence.

The first timbers arrived for construction of what is now the nation’s oldest surviving wooden fort on July 4, 1754 – 22 years before the Declaration of Independence from England was signed.

“The fort today is a tangible means of getting back into the 18th century. The very fact that it was conserved and reconstructed is amazing,” said James Leamon, professor emeritus of American history and archaeology at Bates College.

About 22,000 people, including Maine schoolchildren and tourists from other states and countries, visited the fort last year.

Fort Western was one of two forts built by carpenters and soldiers from Massachusetts. Although built for military purposes during the French and Indian War, Fort Western has seen diverse uses: a retail store, a multifamily residence and a museum.

Capt. James Howard in 1767 bought the building as a place to live, and trade and sell goods. His descendants occupied the riverside building until about 1866. In 1870, a new owner created apartments that housed up to 30 people.

The turnaround started in 1919, when publisher Guy Gannett pledged to fund a restoration if the city bought the property.

A reconditioned Fort Western opened to the public in 1922 as a museum. City taxpayers supported a second restoration and reconstruction of the two watchtowers when they approved a $440,000 bond in 1987.

Leamon said the 20th century restorations give visitors and scholars an authentic connection to the city’s past.

“You can read all you want in history books. But going to the fort gives you a visual and physical indication of all of this. It impacts the mind more than reading about it does,” he said.