Fort Knox (1)

Fort Knox (1) (1844-1923) - A Third System Fort designed by Chief Engineer Joseph G. Totten and constructed between 1844-1869 under the supervision of Isaac Ingalls Stevens, Thomas L. Casey and others. Named for Major General Henry Knox, first U.S. Secretary of War.

Fort Knox Mounted Rodman Cannon	Fort Knox Entrance and Sallyport
Fort Knox from Across the River
Fort Knox Parade and Barracks
Fort Knox Casemates and Circular Stairs

Third System (1816-1867)

Eastman Painting of Fort Knox, Maine

Established to protect the Penobscot River valley from attack.

Fort Knox was designed as a two level granite Third System Fort containing mounts for 64 cannons. Four external batteries, mounting a total of 69 cannons, cover four lines of defense outside the main building.

Two major external gun batteries were constructed in front and below the stone fort in the 1840s to provide an interim defense while fort construction continued. The batteries were designated Battery "A" and Battery "B" and were first completed in the 1840s but not armed. These batteries were designed for the armament of the day like the 32-pounder smooth bore cannon.

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  Double Gun Casemate
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  Circular Staircase
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  Bakery
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  Barracks Rooms
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  Restored Magazine Entrance
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  Restored Magazine Interior

U.S. Civil War (1861-1865)

At the beginning of the U.S. Civil War the fort was still not nearly complete and Battery A and Battery B still had no cannons. When then Captain Thomas L. Casey took charge of construction in August 1862 the fort still had no cannons and it was clear that the armament that the fort was designed for was no longer adequate. Batteries A and B had been designed for cannons like the smoothbore 32-pounder that would be hopelessly outgunned by newer guns. Both Battery A and Battery B were rebuilt for the newer 10" and 15" Rodman cannons and that work was complete about 1863. These batteries were not immediately armed and the Rodman cannons continue to arrive even after the war was over.

Work stopped in 1869 and the fort was still not completely finished.

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  Battery A
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  Battery B
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  Battery B 15" Rodman Cannon Barrel
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  Battery B Hotshot Furnace

Current Status

Fort Knox Visitor Center

One of the best preserved coastal fortifications in New England.

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Location: On Route 174, just off U.S. Route 1 west of the Waldo-Hancock Bridge, Prospect, Waldo County, Maine Maps & Images Lat: 44.56615 Long: -68.802438 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 207'

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 366
• Kaufmann, J.E. and Kaufmann, H.W., Fortress America: The Forts That Defended America, 1600 to the Present, DaCapo Press, 2004, ISBN 0-306-81294-0, page 210-211

Links:

• North American Forts - Fort Knox
• Wikipedia - Fort Knox
• State Park Site
• Maine Guide

Visited: 16 Jun 2012

Fort Knox (1) Picture Gallery

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