Maine Forts

American Forts: East

MAINE

Last Update: 13/OCTOBER/2007

Compiled by Pete Payette - Š2007 American Forts Network

Camp Coburn (2)
(1865), Coburn Gore
A border post established to quell fears of any Fenian raids into Québec.

Fort Kent (State Historic Site)
(1839 - 1845), Fort Kent
This wooden blockhouse built by the state militia was the scene of the "Bloodless Aroostook War" where border disputes with Britain were eventually settled by treaty in 1842. Additional barracks and quarters were also built.

Fort Fairfield
(1839 - 1843), Fort Fairfield
A 1976 replica of the wooden blockhouse. The original, a near duplicate of Fort Kent, was dismantled in 1862.

Hancock Barracks
(1828 - 1845), Houlton
The main Federal garrison post during the Canadian border crisis. Located at Garrison Hall on US 2. The buildings were sold at auction in 1873.
(some info provided by Marshall Sitrin)

Fort Sullivan (1)
(Barracks Museum of the Border Historical Society)
(1808 - 1873), Eastport
Located on Clark's Hill, behind the present Shead High School, this was a four-gun circular earthwork with a wooden blockhouse and barracks. Surrendered in July 1814 to the British on sight of warships in the harbor. The British kept the fort (renamed Fort Sherbrooke) until June 1818 when they gave it back. The powder magazine still exists, now museum. The Barracks Museum was moved to its present location in 1877, at 77 Washington Street.

Civil War five-gun earthwork batteries (1864 - 1865) were located north at Todd's Head (no longer exist), and south on Treat's Island (earthworks still exist).

Fort Foster (1)
(1775 - 1780 ?), East Machias
Patriot earthworks protecting the town. Located on Scott's Point. Other breastworks were built in the vicinity, and a log boom was placed across the river. The British attacked and briefly captured the fort in August 1777. The "Battle of the Rim" occurred just offshore from here in June 1775 between British naval vessels and a Patriot shore battery on a wharf at Rim Point.

Fort O'Brien (State Historic Site)
(1775 - 1781, 1808 - 1818, 1863 - 1865), Machiasport
Originally built in 1775 along with Fort Foster (1). From 1808 - 1818 this was a four-gun crescent-shaped earthwork with a blockhouse. In September 1814 the British captured the fort and burned the barracks. It was returned in June 1818.

Fort Machias (1863 - 1865) was a Civil War five-gun earthwork fort built next to the ruins of Fort O'Brien.

Fort Manning
(1814), Machiasport
A state militia work located at Birch Point. It was abandoned when the British fleet arrived in September 1814.

Ash's Point Fort
(unknown dates), Ashville
Traces of earthworks remain of an old French fort that was once here.

Bar Harbor Defenses
(1898 - 1901), Winter Harbor and Bar Harbor
A temporary battery of two 10-inch smoothbore Rodmans was located on Egg Rock Island (magazines not completed), and two one-gun batteries of 8-inch rifled Rodmans (only one magazine was completed) were on Turtle Island and on Schooner Head below the village. The two 8-inch guns were removed in 1901 when the post was abandoned. The two guns from Egg Rock Island were abandoned in place in 1901 and not removed until 1991, when they were restored and placed in a park in Bar Harbor Village.

¤ Castine Forts

¤ Fort Pentagoet
(1635 - 1734)
A trading post (possibly Dutch) was first located here in 1613. The Plymouth Pilgrims established a fortified trading post here in 1629. It was captured by the French in 1635. The French then built a four-sided 60-foot square stone and earthwork work with four bastions, including a guardhouse, barracks, storehouse, two-story magazine, and a chapel. It was captured by the British in 1654, but returned in 1670 per the 1667 treaty. It was also known as Fort Penobscot (1). It had 12 guns at this time. It was captured by the Dutch briefly in 1674, who then plundered the fort and settlement. In 1688 the British razed the fort and seized the territory from the French. The French retaliated by wiping out Fort Charles at Pemaquid. The French soon regained the area by treaty. In 1722 the British again destroyed the fort, and seized all the French territory in this region. The ruins were exposed after a 1978 storm, and excavations were done beginning in 1980. Grass covered ruins remain today behind the Catholic church on Perkins Street about two blocks east of Fort Madison.

¤ Fort George (2)
(1779 - 1784, 1814 - 1819)
Originally known as Fort Penobscot (2). Unsuccessfuly attacked by Patriot forces in July-August 1779. The buildings were burned when the British evacuated the town in January 1784. The British occupied the site again in September 1814, renamed it, added outer batteries, and built the canal which crosses the peninsula. The British did not relinquish the town until April 1815, and the fort was destroyed by the Americans in 1819. The earthworks, restored in 1961, are located on a hill above the Maine Maritime Academy, at Battle Ave. and Wadsworth Cove Road.

¤ Fort Furieuse
(1814 - 1815)
A British fort built after the town was captured in September 1814. It was dismantled when the British left. A marker locates the site, no remains. (on Blockhouse Point ?)

¤ Fort Madison
(1811 - 1819, 1864 - 1865)
Initially known as the four-gun Penobscot Battery, this fort was captured by the British in September 1814 and renamed Fort Castine. Returned to the Americans in April 1815, and renamed Fort Porter shortly thereafter. In 1818 this was a six-gun fort with a three-gun outer battery.

A new work was built for the Civil War as a five-gun earthwork and called Fort United States (1864 - 1865). These two works still exist side by side in a city park.

NOTE: For St. Croix Island please see the page for NEW BRUNSWICK.

NEED MORE INFO: Blockhouse Point in Castine.

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