Fort Fairfield was established in 1839 as an outpost during the Aroostook War. The original fort, in operation from 1839 to 1843, was dismantled in 1862, although a replica of the blockhouse, constructed in 1976, is located in a small, quiet park just off of Main Street.
The Canadian-Pacific Railroad Station, built in 1875, is now part of the Railroad Museum at the old Bangor & Aroostook railyard on Depot Street. In the heart of potato country, Fort Fairfield hosts the Potato Blossom Festival in the third week of July.