American Forts: East

MASSACHUSETTS

Fort Allen | Amesbury Powder House | Andover Garrisons | Fort Ann (a) | Fort Anne (b)
Fort Bailey | Bailey's Head Battery | Camp Banks | Fort Banks (1) | Bartoll's Head Battery
Bedford Garrison | Beverly Fort | Beverly Gun House | Beverly Powder House
Camp Chase | Chelmsford Garrisons | Fort Conant | Concord Powder House | Cow Fort
Fort Cross | Fort at Curtis Point | Fort Darby | Darby's Fort | Fort Defiance
Dickenson's Garrison | Fort at Eastern Point | Camp Edmunds | Farley's Garrison
French's Garrison | Gale's Head Fort | Camp Gardner | Gilbert Heights Fort | Fort Glover
Fort at Gloucester | Goodwin's Head Battery | Groveland Garrison | Camp Guild
Haverhill Garrisons | Haverhill Powder House | Hewett's Head Battery | Fort Hill (3)
Camp Houston | Camp Hobson | Huit's Head Battery | Ipswich Camp | Fort Juniper
Camp Lander | Fort Lee | Fort Lillie | Lowell Forts | Manchester Powder House
Marblehead Gun House | Marblehead Powder House | Fort at Maverick's Head
Fort Merrimac | Fort Miller | Naumkeag Fort | Newburyport Powder House | Fort Nichols
Fort Number One (2) | Fort Number Two (2) | Old Stone Fort | Fort Philip | Fort Pickering
Salem Barracks | Salem Blockhouses | Fort at Salisbury Point | Salisbury Beach Res.
Camp Schouler | Camp Schuyler | Sea Fensibles Barrack | Fort Sewall
Skinner's Head Battery | Stage Fort | Camp Sutton | Twisden's Hill Battery
Watch House Hill | Fort William (1) | Camp Wilson | Camp Wolcott | Woodberry's Garrison

Boston Harbor I - page 2 | Boston Harbor II - page 3
Southeastern Massachusetts - page 4 | Western Massachusetts - page 5

Last Update: 30/OCTOBER/2024
Compiled by Pete Payette - ©2024 American Forts Network

Amesbury Powder House
(1810 - unknown), Amesbury
A small brick powder magazine located at the top of Powder House Hill off of Monroe St. near Madison St., about 11.5 feet in diameter, 15 feet tall, and presently completely encased with whitewashed cement. Preserved and maintained by the Amesbury Improvement Association. See also Amesbury - Places of Interest

Fort Nichols
(1775), Amesbury ?, or Salisbury Beach ?
A Patriot militia fort was built in 1775 at what was listed as "Salisbury Point". Also known as Fort Merrimac. (NOTE: one modern topographic map features this so-named "point" upstream from the ocean, across the Merrimack River from downtown Newburyport, but another map features the "point" on the north bank at the mouth of the river.)

Fort at Salisbury Point
(1863 - 1865), Salisbury Beach
A nine-gun earthwork battery was located at the mouth of the Merrimack River during the Civil War. No remains, actual site eroded away.


¤ HARBOR DEFENSES of BOSTON (partial)

¤ Salisbury Beach Military Reservation
(Salisbury Beach State Reservation)
(1942 - 1945), Salisbury Beach FORT WIKI
There was a four-gun 155mm battery on Panama mounts and a battery commander's tower here during World War II, along with barracks and other supporting buildings. It protected the entrance to the Merrimack River. The battery is buried and the tower was dismantled. The concrete mounts (at least two) sometimes reappear after storms. No other remains.

A WWII fire-control station was located north of this position, in the residential area on the town beach. It was used by the State Police beach patrol after the war until destroyed by a hurricane in 1958. This station was part of a series of stations for the Harbor Defenses of Portsmouth, as were others located to the south at Plum Island (no remains), Castle Hill (Crane Beach) (no remains), and at Halibut Point State Park, which is open to the public. See also Portsmouth's WWII Fire-Control Towers. The Castle Hill and Halibut Point stations were also shared with the Harbor Defenses of Boston.


Newburyport Powder House
(1822 - unknown), Newburyport
A large circular brick powder magazine, about 60 feet in circumference, located on Godfrey's Hill at 57 Low Street. It was still in use during the Civil War. Restored by the Newburyport Preservation Trust in 2009-2012 and opened as a public park.

Fort Philip
(1776, 1808 - 1815 ?), Plum Island
A Patriot militia fort was once located at the northern end of Plum Island, known as Lighthouse Point. It was refortified again later as a five-gun battery, but the exact site was washed away in the 1830's.

Plum Island was again fortified in 1898 by state militia field artillery.

Haverhill Garrison Houses
(various dates), Haverhill
Possibly up to a dozen garrison houses were once located in the area, including the Hazen Garrison (1724) located at Eight Groveland Street (still exists, private residence); the Peasley Garrison (1675) located at 790 East Broadway (still exists, private residence); the Onesiphorus March Garrison (1690's) on Pecker's Hill (no remains); and the Thomas Dustin (Duston) Garrison (1697) a brick house located at 665 Hilldale Ave. (still exists, open by appointment). The settlement was attacked by Indians in March 1697. Two blockhouses were later built somewhere along the Merrimack River Valley in 1705, in addition to the two located in Andover (see below).

A small brick Powder House (1805 - 1845), about eight feet square, was once located on the north side of White Street (Powder House Lane), until a larger 27-foot high conical brick structure was built in 1840/45 on Golden Hill at 93 Powder House Ave.. Abandoned after the Civil War era, the entrance was sealed in 1883 and was dedicated as a local monument. Still extant, and city owned, future restoration is planned. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2019. The town's first dedicated powder house was not built until 1767, location unknown, after powder and ammunition had been stored in the town's Meeting House since 1672.

Groveland Garrison
(1730's ?), Groveland
A settlers' garrison house located at 10 Garrison Street (still extant, modified into a larger house known locally as the "Foster Mansion"). It was believed to have been originally built by Joseph Hardy Jr. (b. 1692).

Dickenson's Garrison
(1700), Georgetown
A settlers' garrison house once located here (no remains).

Andover Garrison Houses
(1676, 1705), Andover
Twelve garrison houses were built in the area during King Philip's War in 1676, and two additional blockhouses were built in 1705.

Lowell Forts and Garrison Houses
(1669 - 1686, 1695), Lowell
A Penacook (Wamesit) Indian stockade was once located on Fort Hill (3) for protection against attacks by Mohawk Indians from New York. The Wamesit and related Pawtucket Indians relocated to Canada in 1686 after mistreatment by the English settlers after the events of King Philip's War in 1676, even though they had been allies (or at least neutral) in that conflict. The land became a public park (Rogers Fort Hill Park) in 1886, located at 53 Park Ave. East, overlooking the east bank of the Concord River.

The English settlers had also erected a fort of some kind on the Pawtucket Indians' growing fields and fishing site at Pawtucket Falls on the Merrimack River in 1676 during King Philip's War, later commanded by Major Thomas Henchman by the war's end. Henchman's Garrison (1676) was located in Middlesex Village. Another settlers' fortification was later constructed on Lynde's (Belvidere) Hill in 1695 during King William's War, by men under Col. Joseph Lynde. Lowell was part of Chelmsford until separated in 1826.

Lowell Civil War Camps
(1861- 1862), Lowell
Civil War training camps located here were Camp Chase (1861) and Camp Wilson (1862).

Chelmsford Garrison Houses
(1670's, 1690's), Chelmsford
The "Old Chelmsford" Garrison House was one of at least 19 garrison houses located here in 1691 (which also included Lowell at that time). Located at 105 Garrison Road, admission by guided tour. A marker for another garrison house (1670's, destroyed 1800's) is located north of the Merrimack River on MA 113 on the Dracut / Lowell town line.

French's Garrison
(1676), Billerica
A settlers' garrison house once located here (no remains).

George Farley's Garrison
(1665), Billerica
A settlers' garrison house once located here. Still extant, it was dismantled in 2000 and relocated to Gilmanton, NH. Restoration was completed in 2010, it is still used as a private home at 1246 Province Road.

Bedford Garrison
(1664), Bedford
A settlers' garrison house once located here (no remains).

Concord Powder House
(1810 - unknown), Concord
A local militia brick powder magazine located in the Old Hill Burying Ground. Restored in 2006.

Camp Guild
(1917), Boxford
A state National Guard mobilization center.

Camp Schuyler
(1861 - 1862), Lynnfield FORT WIKI
A Civil War training camp located at the crossroads of the then Newburyport Turnpike and Salem Road. Possibly also spelled Schouler. Renamed Camp Stanton in the summer of 1862. No remains, site now the vicinity of the cloverleaf of Exit 44 on I-95.

Camp Houston
(1917), Lynnfield
A state National Guard mobilization camp.

Ipswich Camp
(1942 - 1943), Ipswich
An infantry and field artillery coastal defense base camp, with barracks, mess hall, and supply huts. Location undetermined. Posted here from May 1942 to November 1943 was "L" Company, 181st Infantry Regiment; and "B" Battery, 211th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm howitzers). The infantry patrolled the coast between Newburyport and Lynn. The field artillery was emplaced in several prepared earthwork positions along the coast.

Old Stone Fort
(1814), Rockport
Also known as Sea Fensibles Barrack, located on Bearskin Neck. It featured a two-story high structure with two large chimneys and four fireplaces. A plaque is located on the Historic Transit Tower building, which was built in 1892 on the site, now private residences. Stones from the fort were used in the harbor breakwater.

A WWII fire-control tower is located near Lands End at Emerson Point (private property).

Fort at Eastern Point
(1863 - 1867), East Gloucester
A seven-gun Civil War earthwork battery with exterior barracks and other support buildings, and an earth-covered embrasured bombproof (with at least three guns). The perimeter earthwork walls are still extant, located on Fort Hill Ave. east of the nearby Eastern Point Lighthouse, on the grounds of the "Ramparts", a manor house or former resort hotel from the 1920's that resembled a medieval castle with turreted towers. The house was razed in 1950 to supposedly save on taxes, leaving two stone towers still extant. A new house has recently been constructed incorporating one of the towers. Private property. See also Poetry of Places in Essex County - Eastern Point by Carl Carlsen
Big Guns over Gloucester in the Civil War from Scott Lesch

A WWII fire-control station is also located nearby, now a private home.

Camp Wolcott
(1898), East Gloucester
A Spanish-American War camp of the Massachusetts state militia located at Eastern Point, possibly at the old Civil War fort (see above). Each battalion of the 5th Infantry Regiment rotated occupancy of the camp, and were not mustered into Federal Service. Lasted only one month. The last unit, Battery C, 1st Battalion Light Artillery, transferred to Camp Hobson (Stage Fort).

Fort Defiance
(1794 - 1865 ?/1920's), Gloucester
A Federal earthwork battery and wooden blockhouse located at Fort Point (aka Watch House Point) at Harbor Cove, originally named Fort Lillie. Known simply as Fort at Gloucester in 1807, renamed in 1814. Burned down in 1833 and rebuilt in 1851. An exterior 10-gun naval battery with magazine was located on the adjacent (George) Rodgers' Wharf. Abandoned after the Civil War, the reservation was still owned by the federal government until the 1920's. Nothing remains of this fort, now a residential and commercial area.

British Fort Anne (b) was previously here at Watch House Point in 1703, rebuilt in 1743, and was probably still known by this name during the American Revolution.

A gun battery was also said to be located on Duncan's Point (date ?).
Big Guns over Gloucester in the Civil War from Scott Lesch

Stage Fort (Park)
(Essex National Heritage Area)
(1635 - 1898/intermittent), Gloucester FORT WIKI
The oldest extant fort of the original Massachusetts Bay Colony, located on the western side of Gloucester Harbor. The site was used off and on by various military units until the Spanish-American War. During the Civil War it was renamed Fort Conant (four guns). Camp Hobson was located here in 1898. According to some sources, it was apparently also known at other times in its history as Fort Banks (1), Fort Cross, and Fort Allen, although these have not been confirmed by known official reports. Originally restored in 1930, it was again restored with mounted display cannon in 1973. The Gloucester Visitor Welcoming Center is located within the park, open in season.
Big Guns over Gloucester in the Civil War from Scott Lesch

Manchester Powder House
(1810 - unknown), Manchester-by-the-Sea
A local militia brick powder magazine still exists on Powder House Hill. Restored in 2007 by the Manchester Conservation Commission, maintained by the Manchester-Essex Conservation Trust. See also Good Morning Gloucester

Nearby at Coolidge Point is a WWII fire-control station (now a private home), and located to the west at Gales Point is a WWII eleven-story fire-control tower now resembling a lighthouse (private residence). An SCR-296A radar was also once at Gales Point on top of the tower.

Beverly Fort
(1775 - 1776, 1814), Beverly
A Patriot militia earthwork was originally located on the hill behind the later-built lighthouse (1871) at Beverly Harbor at Paul's Head (aka Hospital Point), located at the end of Bayview Ave.. Traces of the J-shaped earthwork still exist. A smallpox quarantine hospital was built here in 1801. It was used by the state militia as barracks in 1814, but burned down in 1849.

Another Patriot seven-gun earthwork battery was supposedly located across Beverly Cove at Woodbury Point (no remains).

The Beverly Gun House (1808) was once located on High Street (no remains). The Powder House (1808) still exists on Prospect Hill.

William Woodberry's Garrison
(1640's), Beverly
According to Stone’s 1843 "History of Beverly", Curtis (aka Woodberry/Woodbury) Point, just east of Brackenbury Beach, was the site of the town's earliest English dwelling. William Woodberry, one of the five Old Planters given land grants on the Cape Ann Side of Salem in 1630, built his home there (at the foot of present-day Prince Street). “It was a large double house, constructed for defense against an enemy and called the garrison house. It was framed of oak after the fashion of the times, and was taken down about forty years ago.”

Fort at Curtis Point
(1863 - 1865), Beverly
A 12-gun Civil War earthwork battery at the "Parker House". Site located south of the present Endicott College campus. No remains, possibly never built (?).

Camp Lander
(1862 - 1865), Wenham
A Civil War training center located at present-day Pingree Park. There were 20 barracks, Officers' quarters, cook houses, hospital, barber shop, and storehouses.

Watch House Hill
(1600's), Danvers
A fortified house near Salem. A church has been on this spot since 1700.

Naumkeag Fort
(1629 - unknown), Salem
An early settlers' fort (eight guns) located at present-day Lynde and Sewall Streets. The town was renamed Salem in 1630. This was the first capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Of interest in town is the recreated 1630 Salem Pioneer Village at Forest River Park (admission fee).

During the early 1700's, there were two blockhouses located near the almshouse (location ?).

Fort Lee
(1742, 1775 - 1776, 1813 - 1815, 1863 - 1865, 1898), Salem
Originally a colonial militia fort. Named in 1775, it had sixteen guns in 1776 . Earthworks repaired or rebuilt in the 1790's. Used by the state militia in 1813 - 1815. It was abandoned, but later rebuilt as a four-gun battery for the Civil War. Also garrisoned in 1898 as a watch post. The star-shaped earthworks still exist in a wooded park on Fort Ave.. PHOTO from SalemWeb.com

Fort Juniper
(1775 - 1776), Salem
A Patriot militia fort also known as Fort Number One (2), located on Juniper Point at Bayview Ave..

Fort Pickering
(Winter Island Marine Park)
(1794 - 1900/intermittent), Salem FORT WIKI
Located on Winter Island. A fortified site since 1655, originally known as Fort William (1). Renamed Fort Ann (a) (20 guns) in 1703. Renamed Fort Number Two (2) by Patriot forces in 1775. Renamed again in 1798. Rebuilt in 1800 and 1808 as a six-gun fort. Most of the current fort structures (stone magazines, scarp walls, and breakwaters) are from 1863 when the fort (11 guns) was tripled in size, and was also known as Salem Barracks for the several barracks and other garrison structures located outside of the fort proper. The island was used in World War II by the U.S. Navy to store depth charges. The former Coast Guard Air Station located here (1934) closed in 1971. The Fort Pickering (Winter Island) Lighthouse was built in 1871. Admission fee to park for non-residents.

Also located on Winter Island were state militia Camp Sutton (1853, 1855), Camp Edmunds (1856), Camp Banks (1858), and Camp Gardner (1860's).

Fort Miller
(1742, 1775, 1813 - 1815, 1863 - 1865, 1898), Marblehead
Located on Naugus Head, this site had been fortified since 1632. Originally known as Darby's Fort, it was used during the American Revolution, and then rebuilt in 1813 by the state militia (Fort Darby). Rebuilt again in 1863 as a five-gun earthwork battery and renamed. Nothing remains, now a residential area.

Fort Washington (2)
(1776, 1813 - 1815), Marblehead
Located on Bailey's Head at present-day Fountain Park overlooking Little Harbor, on Orne Street opposite Old Burial Hill. Originally named Bailey's Head Battery, or Fort Bailey, during the American Revolution, it was later rebuilt and renamed by the state militia. Became a city park in 1888.

Fort Sewall (park)
(1644, 1666 - 1675, 1705 - 1720's, 1744 - 1760's, 1775 - 1870's ?/intermittent, 1898), Marblehead FORT WIKI
This site had been fortified since 1634. Originally known as the Fort at Maverick's Head (1644) (two guns), it was strengthened in 1666-67, and later became known as Gale's Head Fort (three guns) after 1675. Reported with 12 guns in 1705, and with 20 guns in 1755. Rebuilt in 1775 to its present layout. It became a Federal fort ("First System") in 1794, with additions added in 1794, 1799, and in 1809 (with eight guns). It was formally given its current name in June 1814, after the death of local resident Samuel Sewall, then Chief Justice of the Massachusetts State Supreme Court, although some sources state it may have been named as such as early as 1800. This fort notably protected the USS Constitution from the British blockade in April 1814. The fort was significantly enlarged in 1861 as a 12-gun earthwork battery. The 1860's expansion on the northwest side was levelled and returned to private ownership by the 1880's. The old fort was briefly garrisoned by the state militia in 1898 (June - August). Used as a city park beginning in 1892, the military reservation was not deeded to the city by the Federal government until 1922. Private houses had been built along the western wall beginning in 1899-1900. A steel-mast U.S. Weather Bureau tower was located at the fort from 1902 to 1975. The small 1794 brick magazine still exists on the upper parade, as well as the larger 1799 brick magazine / barracks, which bisects the fort into the upper and lower parades.

During the American Revolution (1778), additional gun batteries were located in town at Bartoll's Head and at Twisden's Hill. In 1813 additional gun batteries were located at Goodwin's Head and at Skinner's Head (one 42-pounder).

The Marblehead Gun House (1810) still exists at 45 Elm Street, and the Powder House (1755 - 1815) still exists at 47 Green Street. Both are owned by the Marblehead Historical Commission.

Fort Glover
(1775 -1776, 1813 - 1815, 1863 - 1865, 1898), Marblehead
A three-gun earthwork battery from the Civil War. Regarrisoned by state militia in 1898 as a watch post. After it was abandoned as an active defense, local residents nicknamed it Cow Fort after the cattle that roamed within the old walls. Site was leveled in 1917. Located near Riverhead Beach and the Marblehead Causeway, near the east end of present-day Bubier Road. A portion of the old town-owned "Cow Fort Farm" became Seaside Park in 1895.

Previously here was Huit's (Hewett's) Head Battery from the American Revolution, and Gilbert Heights Fort from the War of 1812.

Three WWII fire-control stations were located nearby on Marblehead Neck, two still exist, one of which is now a private home. An SCR-296A radar was also here.


Boston Harbor I - page 2 | Boston Harbor II - page 3 | Southeastern Massachusetts - page 4
Western Massachusetts - page 5

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