Fort Townsend

Fort Townsend (1856-1861) (1874-1895) - Fort Townsend was established in 1856 by Bvt. Major Granville O. Haller, 4th U.S. Infantry, U.S. Army, for the protection of settlers during the Yakima Indian War. Barracks at Fort Townsend circa 1885 (University of Washington Archive) Guardhouse at Fort Townsend circa 1885 (University of Washington Archive) Fort Townsend Parade & Flagpole Fort Townsend Fort Townsend WWII Navy Explosives Laboratory for Defusing Enemy Mines and Torpedos Fort Townsend was first established on 26 Oct 1856 by Major Haller as a blockhouse for settler protection during the Yakima Indian War. In 1859 troops were sent from the fort to American Camp to assist in the San Juan Island boundary dispute commonly known as "The Pig War." The fort was placed in caretaker status between 1859 and 1874 for being "unfit," after an inspection by General William S. Harney, Commander of the army headquarters in Columbia. Brought back to life in 1874, the fort thrived until 1895 when fire - started by an exploding kerosene lamp - destroyed the barracks. The fort was decommissioned but was used during World War II as enemy munitions defusing station. In 1958 it was turned over to the State Parks Commission. Current Status Old Fort Townsend State Park, Jefferson County, Washington. Not much of the Fort remains except the grounds and a flagpole. Interpretive signs mark the locations of important buildings and places but nothing remains that can be viewed. The WWII Navy Explosives Laboratory building is located on the road coming into the fort site. Location: On the Olympic Peninsula, approximately two miles south of Port Townsend, Jefferson County, Washington. Maps & Images Lat: 48.07628 Long: -122.78789 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 194' GPS Locations: 48.07628, -122.78789 Fort Townsend See Also: Washington Blockhouses Sources: Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 837 Hart, Herbert M., Tour Guide to Old Western Forts, Pruett Publishing Co., Boulder CO, 1980, ISBN 0-87108-568-2, page 189-190 Whiting, J.S., Forts of the State of Washington: A record of Military and Semi-Military Establishments Designated as Forts, Kelly Printing Company, Seattle, Second Edition, 1951, page 105 McDaniel, Nancy L., A Sound Defense: Military Historical Sites of Puget Sound, Self Published, 2013, 365 pages, ISBN 978-0-9759044-2-8, page 253 Links: North American Forts - Fort Townsend Old Fort Townsend State Park History Link - Fort Towsend Fortification ID: WA0307 - Fort Townsend Visited: 17 Aug 2022, 26 Aug 2015, 19 Jul 2008 Picture Gallery Fort Townsend Barracks Interior circa 1885 (University of Washington Archive)