Fort Oranje is the oldest and best-preserved fort on St Eustatius, a Dutch colonial fortification on the cliffs above Oranjestad's lower town with cannon pointed out to sea in three directions. It was built in the 17th century and expanded repeatedly as Statia grew in commercial importance. The yellow stone walls and cannon emplacements are largely intact, and the fort offers good views over the harbour and across to St Kitts and Saba.
The fort is also the site of the famous first salute to the American flag in 1776. A plaque placed by President Roosevelt in 1939 commemorates the event. The fort grounds are open to visitors and free to enter. The museum inside has exhibits on Statia's history as a free-trade port and on the first salute. The lower town below the fort, along the waterfront, has the ruins of the Dutch warehouses that made Statia the commercial hub of the 18th-century Caribbean.