Halifax Harbour

Last Update: 28/MAY/2006

Compiled by Pete Payette - й2006 American Forts Network

Fort Sackville
(1749 - 1750), Bedford
A palisaded earthwork with four bastions, with a small blockhouse. The garrison transferred to Fort Edward in Windsor.

Dartmouth Blockhouse
(1750), Dartmouth
An early fortified settlement, with palisaded earthworks. It was later abandoned. Located at the point overlooking Dartmouth Cove.

Peninsular Blockhouses
(1750 - 1755 ?), Halifax
Three small blockhouses built to protect the western land approach to the city. Known as South Blockhouse, Middle Blockhouse, and North Blockhouse. They were connected by a road, and each had a triangular palisaded ditch. These were the first blockhouses to be built in the Halifax area.

McAlpines Blockhouse
(1808), Halifax
A pentagonal earthwork battery with a pentagonal blockhouse, erected on McAlpine's Hill to protect the old Windsor / Bedford Road. It was the last of 14 blockhouses ever built in Halifax.

Herring Cove Fort ?
(unknown dates), Herring Cove
The partial remains of a fort of some type still exist, located off of Village Road overlooking the water.
(info courtesy of A.H. Gladwin)

дд Colonial Defences of Halifax

дд Halifax Citadel (National Historic Site)
(1856 - unknown), Halifax
Also known as Fort George (2), this is the fourth fort on this site. The first fort was built in 1749 when the city was founded. The three-story octagonal Citadel Blockhouse was here from 1776 - 1789, covering a 14-gun battery. The current structure is a large star-shaped stone fortress - one of the largest in North America. It took 28 years to build. It was occupied by the British military until 1906. Canadian forces used it during both World Wars. This was the headquarters for all of the city's harbor defences. The fort has been restored. Halifax was a major British naval base during the American Revolution and the War of 1812. The military governed the city until 1841. OUR PHOTOS

дд Halifax City Wall and Batteries
(1749 - unknown), Halifax
The original settlement was surrounded by double-palisaded pentangle, with bastions and barracks at each angle, including Fort Grenadier, Fort Luttrell, Cornwallis Fort, and Horsemans Fort, with the South Battery (1), Middle Battery, and North Battery along the waterfront. There was another unnamed fort between Fort Luttrell and Cornwallis Fort, below the yet-to-be built Citadel.

дд Royal Dockyard Defences
(1762, 1775), Halifax
Three detached bastions forming a crown work, surrounded by palisades and a ditch, were built in 1775. Two blockhouses were built outside the north and south walls of the perimeter. A single blockhouse, Maugher's Blockhouse, was the only defence of the Naval Yard in 1762.

дд Fort Coote
(1776 - 1780's), Halifax
A blockhouse and three-gun earthwork built on Pedley's Hill to protect the Royal Dockyard and cover Fort Needham.

дд Fort Needham (Park)
(1776 - 1917), Halifax
A small pentagonal earthwork with two guns and barracks for 50 men, built as a defence for the Royal Dockyard. It was rebuilt in 1807, with four 12-pounder guns, over the site of the original fort. A blockhouse was built in 1808. It was destroyed by 1820. The Narrows Battery was erected just northeast in 1807, at the Narrows, with a small blockhouse behind it.
Site located at the Fort Needham Memorial Bell Tower and Cemetery. The barracks here were completely destroyed in 1917 in "The Halifax Explosion", the largest man-made explosion in the pre-nuclear age. A French ammunition ship collided with a freighter, and the resulting shockwave of the explosion shattered windows at least 50 miles away, killing over 1900 people instantly, with another 9000 people injured. 325 acres were completely leveled.

дд Grand Battery
(1762?, 1775 - unknown), Halifax
A large system of defences, including Barbette Battery (1), South Battery (2), McLeans Battery, and Principal Battery. Located between Fort Massey and the harbour.

дд Fort Massey
(1776 - unknown), Halifax
A square earthen redoubt, with a blockhouse, barracks, and a magazine, was built between 1776 and 1778 on what was then known as Windmill Hill, presently at Queen and South Streets. It was to command the deep hollow formed by Freshwater Brook, which was a blind spot to the Citadel's guns, and also to cover Greenbank and Grand Batteries. The 17-gun earthwork fort was enlarged in 1782 to be 320 feet long and 170 feet wide, with two semi-circular works connected by a redan on each side.
(info provided by Bolling Smith, of the Coast Defense Study Group)

дд Greenbank Battery
(1762 ?, 1775 - unknown), Halifax
Located below Fort Massey, between the Grand Battery and Fort Ogilvie.

дд Fort Clarence
(1798 - unknown), Dartmouth
Located directly across the harbour from Georges Island. The current fort was built atop the ruins of Duke of Clarence Martello Tower, which was demolished in 1877. The basement of the tower was used as a magazine in the 1890's.

дд Fort Duncan
(unknown), Dartmouth
Located directly across from the Royal Naval Dockyard.

д COAST ARTILLERY DEFENCES, HALIFAX HARBOUR
Halifax Defence Complex | Parks Canada National Historic Sites
Halifax Defence Complex by Jeremy D'Entremont | View Halifax map

д Prince of Wales Tower (National Historic Site)
(1796 - 1942 ?), Halifax
Located at Point Pleasant Park, it is a restored Martello tower - the first of its type in North America. Built to protect the harbor batteries, built in 1792, from a land attack. They were Northwest Arm Battery (aka Barbette Battery (2) or Flagstaff Battery), and Point Pleasant Battery (aka Breastwork Battery or Fieldings Battery). These batteries may have been built as early as 1762. The tower was used until the late 1800's. Chain Battery (date ?) protected a boom across the Northwest Arm. Cambridge Battery was built in the 1860's, with several muzzle-loading guns. In the 1890's Fort Ogilvie was built here, originally with muzzle-loading guns. Point Pleasant Battery was then armed with two 12-pounder quick-firing guns (OUR PHOTOS). In WWI armament included two 6-inch guns at Fort Ogilvie, and two 6-inch guns at Cambridge Battery. Cambridge Battery was dismantled in 1918, and it's guns were sent to Sydney, Cape Breton Island. Two 4.7-inch guns were at Fort Ogilvie from 1939 - 1942. Most of the original 1860's-era fort is buried under the present lawn and mounds.

д Connaught Battery
(1910's), Halifax
A WWI battery with three 4.7-inch quick-firing guns. Located at Fergusons Cove, north of York Redoubt.

д York Redoubt (National Historic Site)
(1793 - 1956), Sleepy Cove д Old Halifax MAP д
A blockhouse was built in 1794 to guard against a landward attack against the eight-gun redoubt. The Duke of York Martello Tower was built in 1798 to replace it. The redoubts were rebuilt in the 1860's to hold eight gun positions. A fire control post was built here in 1942. Only the lower level of the tower still exists today. In 1939 the York Shore Battery (to 1945) was built on the shore below the old redoubt, with two 12-pounder guns transferred from Fort Ives, later replaced with two 6-pounder duplex guns. A 4.7-inch gun battery was located by the anti-submarine net. The harbour mines were controlled from here. It is now part of the National Park. OUR PHOTOS

д Sandwich Point Battery
(unknown - 1945), near Herring Cove
Located south of York Redoubt. In WWI armed with two 9.2-inch breech-loading guns, and two 6-inch breech-loading guns. The two 6-inch guns remained for WWII service. Practice Battery was located just north of here, near the Spion Kop WWII observation post.

д Fort Chebucto
(1943 - 1945), near Duncan Cove
Three 6-inch MK24 guns on MK5 mounts were located here at Chebucto Head. Very little remains to be seen today. Located in Duncan Cove was the Outer RDF radar location. The Lower Harbour Naval Signal Station was located nearby at Camperdown, near Portuguese Cove.

д Devil's Battery
(1941 - 1944), South East Passage
Three 9.2-inch guns (one was transferred from Fort McNab in 1942) were located here on Hartlan Point, as well as a 40mm AA battery. Located on the CFB Shearwater military base golf course. The Halifax Fortress Observation Post was located nearby on Flandrum Hill. An RDF radar station was located northeast of here at Osborne Head.

д Fort McNab (National Historic Site)
(1889 - 1959), McNabs Island
Located on the south end of McNabs Island. Originally armed with a 10-inch gun, later replaced with one 9.2-inch and two 6-inch guns in WWI. The 10-inch gun is now located at York Redoubt. Armed with only two 6-inch guns 1939 - 1945. The 9.2-inch gun was transferred to Devil's Battery in 1942. A radar building was built atop one of the empty gun batteries. The ruins of other forts are located nearby, including Sherbrooke Martello Tower (1814 - 1828) (four guns), at McNabs Cove, opposite York Redoubt, and Strawberry Hill Battery (1939 - 1945) (two 12-pounder guns and a 4.7-inch gun by the anti-submarine net), between Fort McNab and Sherbrooke Tower. The lower level of Sherbrooke Tower is now the base of the lighthouse currently at the site.
Friends of McNabs Island

д Fort Hugonins
(1899 - 1950's/1993), McNabs Island
Armed with three 12-pounder quick-firing guns in WWI. In 1939 two 12-pounders were transferred from Practice Battery, but were then transferred again in 1940 to Strawberry Hill Battery. It has been recently opened to the public after having been off-limits for many years.

д Fort Ives
(1865 - unknown), McNabs Island
Located at the northern tip of McNabs Island. Several 9-inch and 10-inch muzzle-loading guns from the 1860's are still here. In 1890 6-pounder quick-firing guns were added, and in 1900 two 12-pounder quick-firing and two 6-inch breech-loading guns were added. The 12-pounders were transferred to York Shore Battery in 1939. The Mines Observation Post still exists through the brush near the shore.

д Fort Charlotte
(1815 - 1930 ?), Georges Island
A Martello tower was in the center of this stone fort. It was torn down in 1877 after the fort was rebuilt between 1864 and 1870. First located here in 1750 was Fort George (1), an earthworks fort. It was modified in 1795 to a star-shaped fort with a blockhouse in the center, known as Georges Island Fort. In WWI the fort was armed with two 4.7-inch quick-firing guns. Georges Island became part of the National Park system in 1960.

д NOTES: World War II anti-aircraft battery battalions in Halifax: one 6-gun 3.7-inch; one 4-gun 3.7-inch; one 2-gun 3.7-inch; one 16-gun 40mm. There were 12 searchlight positions. Two minefields and an anti-submarine net protected the harbour, with magnetic indicator loops also in use.
World War I guns in relocatable positions: two 60-pounder BL guns (transferred to Kingston, Jamaica in 1919); three 4.7-inch guns on movable mountings; and four 12-pounder BL MK1 guns.

Special thanks to Robert D. Zink of the Coast Defense Study Group for providing info on the Coast Artillery Defences of Halifax Harbour.

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