Located on a bluff 200 feet above the confluence of the Red and Cumberland Rivers in Clarksville, Tennessee, the Fort Defiance site has been a hub of activity for more than two centuries. Originally inhabited by American Indians, white settlers began arriving in the late 18th Century. The area became a trading center and settlement. During the Civil War, the hilltop was chosen by Confederate troops as a site to construct a fort to defend the river approach to Clarksville. In February 1862, the fort was captured by Union forces, renamed and occupied for the remainder of the war. The site was a magnet for runaway and freed slaves, and many were employed in and around the fort. A visitor today will find Fort Defiance remarkable well preserved, the outer earthworks, powder magazine and gun platforms are still discernable.

In 1982, Judge and Mrs. Sam Boaz donated the property to the City of Clarksville.  In 2008, the City secured a $2.2 million federal grant that was combined with local funding to begin the construction of the Interpretive Center and nearly a mile of walking trails. The more than 1,500-square-foot Interpretive Center features exhibits about the surrounding area and the fort during the Civil War era.