'Pokemon Go' Players Blamed For Damage At Historic Mass. Fort
FAIRHAVEN, Mass. (CBS/AP) — A fort destroyed in the Revolutionary War is again fending off attacks — this time from "Pokemon Go" players.
Caretakers of Fort Phoenix in Massachusetts say players of the popular smartphone game are damaging the historic site.
Gary Lavalette, volunteer caretaker at the fort in Fairhaven, near the Rhode Island state line, says people have been leaving trash, vandalizing historic structures and publicly urinating. He told WLNE-TV that a stone wall was taken apart with a crowbar and parts of the property look like a "minefield" because people are digging up the ground.
"This fort was never designed for this type of activity," Lavalette told the station.
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The Fairhaven Historical Commission says hundreds of "Pokemon Go" players have been flocking to the fort, often at night, because it's where a rare Pokemon can be found.
Lavalette said that some visitors were searching for "buried treasure" at the site because they didn't understand its history.
The fort was destroyed by the British in 1778 but later rebuilt.
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