Fort DuPont (1): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 08:17, 3 October 2010

Fort DuPont (1) (1864-1945) - An Endicott Period reinforced concrete coastal fort established on the site of previous fortifications that were removed in 1897. Named in 1899 for Admiral Samuel Francis duPont a U.S. Civil War naval hero. Deactivated 31 Dec 1945.

U.S. Civil War

The original fortification was established in 1864 during the U.S. Civil War as a ten gun battery to protect the entrance to the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal. The battery was supported from Fort Delaware. The battery was shaped like a pentagon pointed toward the river with the three land facing sides protected by a moat and a wooden stockade. The river facing sides were earthen parapets also protected by a moat. The internal structures included a central magazine, officer and enlisted quarters, a kitchen, two privies and a guardhouse.

A twenty gun battery was built in the 1870s replacing the earlier fortification. The new battery was rectangular with two flanking parapets. This battery was designed to mount both coastal mortars and large-bore cannon but was never fully armed.

Endicott Period

Part of the Harbor Defense of the Delaware.

Construction on the Endicott Period batteries began in 1897 after the remains of the older fortifications were cleared. There are still some remains of the 1872 mortar battery and the earthworks battery built in 1864. Six Endicott Period reinforced concrete gun batteries were built between 1897 and 1904.

**Fort DuPont (1) Endicott Period Battery** (edit list)
Battery Click on Battery links below	No.	Caliber	Type Mount	Service Years	Battery Cost	Notes
Battery Rodney	8	12"	Mortar	1897-1899-1900-1941	$ 217,721*	4 Mortars shipped to Battery White (2), Fort Rosecrans by Jul 1918
Battery Best	8	12"	Mortar	1897-1899-1900-1941	$ 217,721*	4 Mortars shipped to Honolulu May 1914
Battery Read	2	12"	Barbette	1898-1898-1899-1918	$ 80,830	Guns to Fort Hamilton Battery Doubleday 1918
Battery Gibson	2	8"	Disappearing	1898-1898-1899-1917	$ 67,956	Guns to Watervliet 1917
Battery Ritchie	2	5"	Pedestal	1900-1900-1900-1917	$ 16,703	Destroyed
Battery Elder	2	3"	Pedestal	1903-1904-1904-1942	$ 18,383	Guns Mounted Mar 1910 Relocated to Delaware Beach 1922 Guns moved to Battery Liston 1942
Battery Liston Battery Elder II	2	3"	Pedestal	1942-1942	$ ?	Reedy Island Liston front range light
Source: CDSG

The construction of the fort itself began in ernest after the purchase of an additional 111 acres of land in 1900. The additional purchase brought the size of the reservation to 177 acres, enough for a full scale, open plan, coastal fort. Many of the Colonial Revival buildings were completed in the initial phase between 1899 and 1902. Between 1906 and 1922 additional land was acquired and more support buildings were constructed. The reservation was 321 acres up until 1945.

World War I

During World War I the guns from Battery Read, Battery Gibson and Battery Ritchie were removed for use elsewhere.

World War II

German POWs were held at Fort DuPont during World War II. The guns from Battery Elder were moved to Battery Liston. Fort DuPont was expanded during World War II as an Army Aviation Engineering Base. Closed 31 Dec 1945 and given to the State of Delaware for use as the Governor Bacon Health Center which opened 28 Oct 1948.

Current Status

Fort DuPont Delaware State Park, no period guns or carriages remain.

{"selectable":false,"width":"500"}

Location: On Reedy Point just east of Delaware city, New Castle County, Delaware.

Maps & Images

Lat: 39.5705321 Long: -75.5833626

Multi Maps from ACME
Maps from Bing
Maps from Google
Elevation: '

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 130

Links:

Visited: 6 Aug 2010

Fort DuPont (1) Picture Gallery

Click on the picture to see a larger version. Contribute additional pictures - the more the better!

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{SocialNetworks}}
-'''{{PAGENAME}}''' (1897-1945) - An [[:Category:Endicott Period Forts|Endicott Period]] reinforced concrete coastal fort established on the site of previous fortifications that were removed in 1897. Named in 1899 for Admiral Samuel Francis duPont a [[U.S. Civil War]] naval hero. Deactivated 31 Dec 1945.
+'''{{PAGENAME}}''' (1864-1945) - An [[Endicott Period]] reinforced concrete coastal fort established on the site of previous fortifications that were removed in 1897. Named in 1899 for Admiral [[Samuel Francis duPont]] a [[U.S. Civil War]] naval hero. Deactivated 31 Dec 1945.
 {|width="795px" cellpadding="5px"
 |- valign="top"
@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 |}
-== {{PAGENAME}} History ==
+== [[U.S. Civil War]] ==
-Original fortification established during the [[U.S. Civil War]] to protect the entrance to the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal. Later part of [[:Category:Harbor Defense of the Delaware|Harbor Defenses of the Delaware]].
+The original fortification was established in 1864 during the [[U.S. Civil War]] as a ten gun battery to protect the entrance to the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal. The battery was supported from [[Fort Delaware]]. The battery was shaped like a pentagon pointed toward the river with the three land facing sides protected by a moat and a wooden stockade. The river facing sides were earthen parapets also protected by a moat. The internal structures included a central magazine, officer and enlisted quarters, a kitchen, two privies and a guardhouse.
-==[[:Category:Endicott Period Forts|Endicott Period]]==
-Construction on the [[Endicott Period]] fortifications began in 1897 after the remains of the older fortifications were cleared. There are still remains of a mortar battery dating to 1872 and an earthworks battery built in 1864.
-Six [[Endicott Period]] reinforced concrete gun batteries were built between 1897 and 1904.
+A twenty gun battery was built in the 1870s replacing the earlier fortification. The new battery was rectangular with two flanking parapets. This battery was designed to mount both coastal mortars and large-bore cannon but was never fully armed.
-{{Clr}}
+==[[Endicott Period]]==
+{{HDDelaware}}
+Construction on the [[Endicott Period]] batteries began in 1897 after the remains of the older fortifications were cleared. There are still some remains of the 1872 mortar battery and the earthworks battery built in 1864. Six [[Endicott Period]] reinforced concrete gun batteries were built between 1897 and 1904.
 {{FtDupontEndicott}}
 {{Clr}}
+The construction of the fort itself began in ernest after the purchase of an additional 111 acres of land in 1900. The additional purchase brought the size of the reservation to 177 acres, enough for a full scale, open plan, coastal fort. Many of the Colonial Revival buildings were completed in the initial phase between 1899 and 1902. Between 1906 and 1922 additional land was acquired and more support buildings were constructed. The reservation was 321 acres up until 1945.
 ==[[World War I]]==
 During [[World War I]] the guns from [[Battery Read]], [[Battery Gibson]] and [[Battery Ritchie]] were removed for use elsewhere.
@@ Line 25: / Line 28: @@
 [[Image:Fort DuPont Plan.jpg|thumb|left|795px|Fort Dupont Plan]]
 {{Clr}}
 ==[[World War II]]==
 German POWs were held at Fort DuPont during [[World War II]]. The guns from [[Battery Elder]] were moved to [[Battery Liston]]. Fort DuPont was expanded during [[World War II]] as an Army Aviation Engineering Base. Closed 31 Dec 1945 and given to the State of Delaware for use as the Governor Bacon Health Center which opened 28 Oct 1948.
@@ Line 35: / Line 37: @@
 <googlemap version="0.9" lat="39.5705321" lon="-75.5833626" zoom="15" width="500" scale="yes" overview="yes" controls="large" icons="http://www.fortwiki.com/mapicons/icon{label}.png">
 (F) 39.5705321, -75.5833626
-[[Fort DuPont]]<br>(1896-1945)
+[[Fort DuPont]]<br>(1864-1945)
 (B) 39.5682412, -75.5784166
 [[Battery Gibson]]<br>(1899-1917)
@@ Line 59: / Line 61: @@
 * {{Roberts}}, page 130
 '''Links: '''
-* [http://www.geocities.com/delbayforts/Fort_Delaware/index.htm Fort Delaware State Park]
+* [http://www.northamericanforts.com/East/de.html#delaware North American Forts - Fort DuPont]
-* [http://www.northamericanforts.com/East/de.html North American Forts - Fort DuPont]
 * [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_DuPont Wikipedia - Fort DuPont]
 {{CDSGMidAtlantic}}
@@ Line 79: / Line 79: @@
 [[Category:Delaware Forts]]
 [[Category:Delaware New Castle County]]
+[[Category:U.S. Civil War Forts]]
 [[Category:Endicott Period Forts]]
 [[Category:Harbor Defense of the Delaware]]