Southern Maine

Last Update: 13/OCTOBER/2007

Compiled by Pete Payette - й2007 American Forts Network

Fort New Gloucester
(1754 - 1760), New Gloucester
A settlers' blockhouse was here, later also used as a church and town hall. It was sold in 1788. Site on Gloucester Hill Road.

Fort Gray
(1755 - unknown), East Gray
A town fort/blockhouse once located near the Royal River. May have been known as Fort New Boston as the settlement was known at that time.

Province Fort
(1744 - 1755 ?), South Windham
A palisaded blockhouse that was attacked five times by Indians between 1747 and 1755. Also known as Salmon Falls Fort. At least five other palisaded blockhouses were in town in 1755. The settlement was originally called New Marblehead.

Fort Gorhamtown
(1743 - 1750 ?), Gorham
A blockhouse located on Fort Hill. Attacked in 1745 and 1746.

Joseph Woodman's Fort
(1754 - unknown), Buxton
A 40-foot square palisaded settlers' blockhouse located at Pleasant Point on the Saco River. Known as Fort Buxton by later historians.
There were at least three recorded garrison houses in Buxton during this period.

Buxton Powder House
(1810's ?), Buxton Center
A brick powder house still exists in town.

Fort Dayton
(1728 - unknown), Union Falls
A palisaded blockhouse and trading post located on the Saco River. It still existed in 1810. Also referred to as the Saco Blockhouse (3).

Scarborough Garrison Houses
(various dates), Scarborough
Joshua Scottow's Fort (1) (1675 - 1677) was a settlers' garrison located at Black Point. It was attacked by Indians in 1676 and 1677. A marker is located by the town post office. Capt. Joshua Scottow's Fort (2) (1681 - 1690) was a palisaded militia fort located at Black Point. Also known as Black Point Fort. The settlement was abandoned in 1690. Re-established in 1702 as Jocelyn's Fort (2), built by Henry and John Jocelyn (also spelled Josselyn), it was defended by only eight men when attacked by a force of 500 French and Indians in 1703. A stone marker (1931) marks the site. The settlement was then abandoned again until 1720. The fort here may have been rebuilt again at that time and then known as Prout's Neck Fort when Timothy Prout bought the surrounding land.
(NOTE: Jocelyn's Fort (2) and Scottow's Fort (2) were probably at the same site.)

Richard Hunnewell's Garrison (1673 ?) on Winnocks Neck was attacked in 1703. It later became a tavern, and was relocated in 1976 to its present site at Black Point Road and Winnocks Neck Road. Andrew Brown's (Sr.) Garrison was located near Harmon's Landing (location ?). It was attacked and destroyed in 1675. (there is a Garrison Lane near Massacre Pond on Prouts Neck) Roger Dearing's Garrison (1710 ?) was located at Oak Hill.

Dunstan Garrison Houses
(various dates), West Scarborough
Located here were the Alger Garrison (built 1651 by brothers Andrew and Arthur Alger, attacked and abandoned in 1675, both men killed), and Burnham's Garrison (built before 1675) at Blue Point. Richard Foxwell's Garrison (1650 ?) was located on Cascade (Foxwell) Brook, part of the Blue Point settlement. Henry Watts' Garrison (1650 ?) was also nearby. The town was originally named Dunstan until 1658.

John Stratton's Fort
(unknown dates), Stratton Island
A settlers' trading post built before 1650.

Major William Phillips' Garrison
(1675), Biddeford
A settlers' garrison destroyed in 1675. Located on Pierson's Lane. The site is now developed.

Fort Saco (2)
(1693 - 1708 ?), Biddeford
A colonial militia earthwork fort with a stone tower, located on the south bank of the river at Saco Falls. The site was obliterated in 1843 due to factory construction.

Saco Indian Fort (1)
(c. 1605), near Hills Beach
An Indian palisaded village was located at the mouth of the Saco River, across from present-day Camp Ellis. Visited by Samuel de Champlain in 1605.

Fort Mary
(1708 - unknown), Biddeford Pool
Located on a bluff (Fort Hill) overlooking Winter Harbor / Biddeford Pool. Possibly built as early as 1688, it was rebuilt in 1710. Also known as Fort (John) Hill after its commanding officer. A stone monument was erected here in 1903.

д HARBOR DEFENSES of PORTLAND (partial - see also Casco Bay - page 3)

д Biddeford Pool Military Reservation
(1942 - 1945), Biddeford Pool
Four Panama mounts for 155mm guns were located here on Fletcher Neck (now buried). In 1943 the position was briefly manned by troops from the Portsmouth Harbor Defenses. A fire-control tower was also once located here (destroyed 1960's).

Stage Island Fort
(1689 - 1690), Cape Porpoise
A temporary colonial militia fort located on Stage Island. The troops deserted after one season.

Kennebunk Point Fort ?
(1775 ?, 1814 - 1815), Kennebunkport
A state militia earthwork fort. Some earthworks remain on Shore Drive at Old Fort Point, at St. Ann's Episcopal Church. A Patriot work may have been located here in 1775.

Fort (Stephen) Larrabee
(1735 - 1762), Kennebunk
A palisaded five-garrison house complex, originally built in 1714 by William Larrabee (Stephen's father), that was part of the first settlement of Kennebunk. This area was originally once part of Wells. William died in 1727. Attacked by Indians in 1747. A marker is at the site along the Mousam River.
(thanks to both Bob Larrabee and Bill Larrabee (distantly related) for info)

Wells Garrison Houses
(various dates), Wells
John Wheelwright's Garrison (aka Town's End Garrison) was located here in 1676 during King Philip's War. It was destroyed in 1692. Joseph Storer's Garrison (1692) was located at present-day Storer Park. It was also attacked in 1692. At least eight other garrison houses were built, some along the Webhannet River, and one on the Merriland River.

Agamenticus Trading Post
(1624 - unknown), York Village
A Pilgrim trading post.

Fort Edward
(1814 - 1815), York Harbor
A Massachusetts (Maine) state militia fort at Fort Point. There is nothing left, now the Stage Neck Inn complex.

York Garrison Houses
(various dates), York
Several garrison houses were built here during varying times of Indian troubles, including the Joseph Junkins Garrison (1705 ?) in Scotland (no remains). At least one still exists, the Micum McIntire Garrison (1702 or 1707) (previously the Maxwell Garrison originally built in 1690), located on Route 91, also in Scotland. It was partially rebuilt in 1909. Open by appointment. The Daniel Dill (MacDill) Garrison (1670's ?) was also located in the Scotland area. Indians attacked the settlement in 1711.

дд HARBOR DEFENSES of PORTSMOUTH (partial)
Portsmouth's WWII Fire-Control Towers

дд Fort Foster (2) (Park)
(1873 - 1948/1950's), Gerrish Island
The 12-gun Battery on Gerrish's Island was built here in 1874 - 1876 but was never finished, later demolished for Battery Bohlen. Endicott batteries here were Battery Bohlen (1901 - 1942) partially buried, Battery Chapin (1904 - 1945), Battery 205 (1944) (proposed name Battery Curtis) never armed, and Anti Motor Torpedo Boat Battery 952 (1943 - 1946) partially buried. Battery 205's Battery Commander's Station is unusual in that it resembles the multi-story fire-control towers that were built along the coast. A mine casemate, minefield observation tower, and a searchlight shelter are also located here. Fort Foster was used briefly by the U.S. Navy as a recreation area in the 1950's. Admission fee.

дд Fort McClary (State Historic Site)
(1808 - 1918), Kittery Point
There was a previous fort nearby called Fort Pepperrell (also known as William Pepperrell's Garrison) and it dates back to 1680. Later came the six-gun Fort William from 1720 to 1779. Taken over by the New Hampshire militia in 1775, with two new batteries built just to the west of here. In 1808 Fort McClary was only a simple stone 10-gun battery and earthworks. The wooden and granite blockhouse, the last one built in this state, was built in 1845. During the Civil War a granite fortress with a caponier and two bastions was started around the blockhouse, and it was to resemble Forts Knox and Popham already mostly completed further up the coast. It was abandoned in 1868. Three old 15-inch Rodman guns were emplaced for the Spanish-American War in 1898. In World War I the blockhouse was used as an observation post for Fort Foster (2). Admission fee.

дд ALSO: Additional WWII observation towers in Maine associated with the Portsmouth Harbor Defenses were located at Gelaspus Point (Kennebunk Beach) (destroyed 1949), Moody Point (still exists, private), Bald Head Cliff (destroyed 1964), Cape Neddick (still exists, private, extensively modified 2001), Seal Head Point (destroyed 1979), and Sisters' Point (destroyed 2004). Another observation/radar tower is located on Appledore Island, Isles of Shoals, on the campus of Cornell University's Shoals Marine Lab (no public access to tower).

Fort Sullivan (2)
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
(1775 - 1815, 1861 - 1865), Seavey's Island
Originally a New Hampshire state militia earthwork fort once located on the southern end of Seavey's Island (near where the abandoned Naval Prison now sits at Sullivan Point) from 1775 to 1815. Rebuilt and regarrisoned in 1861 as an 11-gun 8-inch Rodman naval battery, manned by Negro sailors who were training at the Naval Shipyard.

Another battery was built just to the west of here, on Henderson's Point, during the American Revolution. Fortifications were also put up on what was once Dennett's Island from 1801 to the 1840's.

Established in 1898 on Seavey's Island was Camp Long, a Spanish POW camp, and Camp Heyward, a USMC training camp. The Portsmouth Naval Prison was built on the site of Camp Long in 1908. History of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

Kittery Garrison Houses
(various dates), Kittery
In 1722 there were 30 (36 authorized) of these fortified houses but only three remain; William Whipple's Garrison (aka Robert Cutt's Garrison) (1665) on Whipple Road, Dennett's Garrison (1710) on Dennett Road, and Andrew Mitchell's Garrison (1665) on Mitchell Lane in Kittery Point. These three are still private residences but the Mitchell house no longer has the garrison characteristics. Another garrison house from 1720 was the Newmarch Garrison. Other garrison houses in 1690 included the Morrell, Shapleigh, Hammond, Tutherly, Fernald, Alcott, Curtis, Wilson, Pepperrell, (see Fort McClary above) and Champernowne Garrisons. (see also Eliot, South Berwick, and Berwick Garrison houses)

Frank's Fort
(1631 - 1634 ?), South Eliot
Located on Frankfort Island in the Piscataqua River, upstream from Kittery and Portsmouth. It was built by the Laconia Company for the protection and shelter of company employees in a salt industry project. It was a failure and did not last long.

Eliot Garrison Houses
(various dates), Eliot
Once a part of Kittery until 1810. Located here were Watt's Fort (2) (1650's) one mile upriver from Frankfort Island, also known as Jocelyn's Fort (1); Darby's Fort (1650's); and Leighton's Fort (1690) (possibly the same as Watt's Fort). Also here in 1700 (?) were David Libby's Garrison and Matthew Libby's Garrison, both near Libby Hill (location ?). Located in East Eliot on Frost Hill is the Nicholas Frost Garrison (1640 ?), a fortified barn that still exists.

South Berwick Garrison Houses
(various dates), South Berwick
Once a part of Kittery. Part of Berwick until seperated in 1810. The palisaded Humphrey Chadbourne Manor was built here at Newichawannock in 1660 (?). It was destroyed in 1690. The palisaded Ambrose Gibbins' Garrison was here in the 1630's, somewhere near the mouth of the Great Works (Asbenbedick) River. Attacked in 1675 during King Philip's War were the Richard Tozier, Jr. Garrison (aka Old Garrison House torn down in 1850's) located on Route 236 one-half mile from the railroad, and the Roger Plaisted Garrison located by the railroad on Route 236. The present-day houses at those sites were built on the original foundations. Also located here (or possibly in Rollinsford, NH) in 1675 was William Gerrish's Blockhouse one mile above Quamphegan Falls. The Key Garrison was located about one mile from Gerrish's (undetermined location). Located here in 1690 were the Frost (2), Benoni Hodgedon, John Mason, Richard Mason, Stone, Abbott, William Spencer, and Holmes' Garrisons.

Berwick Garrison Houses
(various dates), Berwick
Located on Pine Hill was Hamilton's Garrison (aka Pine Hill Fort) (1720's ?). It was still in existence in 1750. William Goodwin's Blockhouse (1675) was somewhere along the Salmon Falls River. Nathan Lord's (Jr.) Garrison (aka Old Fields Garrison) (1680's ?) was also in the area (undetermined location). Lord died in 1733. The house was torn down in 1816.

NEED MORE INFO: Fort Hill Avenue in Old Orchard Beach.

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