Fort Vancouver National Historic Site Fort Vancouver National Historic Site is a United States National Historic Site located in the states of Washington and Oregon . The National Historic Site consists of two units , one located on the site of Fort Vancouver in modern - day Vancouver , Washington ; the other being the former residence of John McLoughlin in Oregon City , Oregon . The two sites were separately given national historic designation in the 1940s . The Fort Vancouver unit was designated a National Historic Site in 1961 , and was combined with the McLoughlin House into a unit in 2003 . Fort Vancouver site . The main unit of the site , containing Fort Vancouver , is located in Vancouver , Washington , just north of Portland , Oregon . Fort Vancouver was originally an important 19th century fur trading outpost that was established in 1824 by the British Hudson ' s Bay Company ( HBC ) , under the command of chief factor John McLoughlin . It was the center of activity on the Pacific coast and its influence stretched from the Rocky mountains in the east , to Alaska in the north , Mexico in the south , and to Hawaii in the Pacific . Then in 1843 , the Hudson ' s Bay Company , in the face of increasing US settlement , moved their base of operations in the region to Fort Camuson , now known as Fort Victoria in what is now Victoria , British Columbia . In 1846 the Treaty of Oregon was ratified , and Fort Vancouver became part of the Oregon Territory of the United States . The Treaty permitted HBC to continue to operate the Fort Vancouver site even after the boundary dispute was settled , but they eventually abandoned the post in 1860 . In 1849 , the United States Army constructed a barracks adjacent to the British trading post ; and took over the Hudson ' s Bay facility when it was abandoned . A fire destroyed the fort itself in 1866 , but the Army facility has continued in operation in various forms down to the present . Fort Vancouver was separated from the Army ' s barracks and became a national monument in 1948 . Congress expanded the protected area in 1966 and re - designated the site as a National Historic Site . For some years after its addition to the National Park System , the National Park Service was reluctant to begin reconstruction of the fort walls or buildings , preferring to manage it as an archaeological site as provided by its standing policies . However , in 1965 , with the urging of the local community , Congress directed reconstruction to begin . All fort structures seen today are modern replicas , albeit carefully placed on the original locations . In response to concerns about the designation of reconstructed structures , the Park Service designated the Vancouver National Historic Reserve Historic District to encompass reconstructed buildings as well as historic Army and Mission 66 era Park Service structures . The park also operates the Pearson Air Museum on the fort grounds . McLoughlin House site . The McLoughlin House unit consists of the homes of McLoughlin , and of Dr . Forbes Barclay , an explorer and associate of McLoughlin ' s ; the two homes are known respectively as the McLoughlin House and the Barclay House . They are located adjacent to each other on a bluff overlooking the Willamette River in Oregon City , Oregon , on a plot of land set aside for public use by McLoughlin in the 1840s . In 1846 , McLoughlin left the employ of Hudson ' s Bay Company , and purchased from the company a land claim located on the Willamette River in Oregon City . McLoughlin constructed the house there , and lived there until his death in 1857 . The house , a two - style colonial mansion , is typical of East Coast residences from the time . After McLoughlin ' s death in 1857 , his widow lived there until she died three years later ; their heirs sold the house in 1867 . The home soon became a bordello known as the Phoenix Hotel . In 1908 , the paper mill that owned the property wished to expand and the house was threatened with demolition , but preservationists saved it the next year . The house was moved from the riverfront to its current location on a bluff overlooking downtown Oregon City in 1910 . It sat there for twenty - five years , until restored in 1935 - 1936 under the auspices of the Civil Works Administration , and opened as a museum . The Barclay House was built in 1849 by Portland carpenter and pioneer John L . Morrison , and occupied by Dr . Barclay and his family . Barclay died in 1874 ; the house remained in the family ' s possession until 1930 when it was moved from the waterfront to its present location , next to the McLoughlin House . Today , the Barclay House contains museum offices and a gift shop . The McLoughlin House became a National Historic Site in 1941 , and both homes were added to the National Park System in 2003 , becoming part of the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site . The McLoughlin House unit lies on the Oregon National Historic Trail , a part of the National Trails System . The graves of McLoughlin and his wife are on the premises . The house contains both original and period furnishings .