Fort Crockett

Fort Crockett (1897-1953) - An Endicott Period Coastal Fort first established in 1897. Named in G.O. 43, 4 Apr 1900, after David Crockett, hero of the Alamo. Located on Galveston Island, Galveston County, Texas. Declared surplus and transferred to the GSA in 1953. Fort Crockett Headquarters Building Fort Crockett Barracks Buildings Fort Crockett Aerial View circa 1932 Endicott Period (1890-1910) Part of the Harbor Defense of Galveston. Construction began on the three Endicott Period gun batteries in 1897 and the fort was first garrisoned by Battery G, 1st U.S. Artillery in 1898. The hurricane of 8 Sep 1900 severely damaged the island and the fort. The Army Corps of Engineers started restoration almost immediately, which was not completed, however, until 1906-07. Twenty-nine of the 129 soldiers housed at the fort lost their lives in that hurricane. In 1911 the Fort was re-garrisoned and the three refurbished gun batteries were accepted for service by the Coast Artillery, all on 21 Aug 1911. Fort Crockett Endicott Period Battery (edit list) Battery Click on Battery links below No. Caliber Type Mount Service Years Notes Battery Izard 8 12" Mortar 1897-1???-1911-1943 Destroyed Battery Hampton 2 10" Disappearing 1897-1???-1911-1943 Destroyed Battery Laval 2 3" Masking Parapet 1897-1???-1911-1920 Partly visible built into seawall Source: CDSG Fort Crockett Plan World War I (1917-1918) Fort Crockett served as a US Army artillery training center and replacement depot during World War I. Fort Crockett World War I Battery (edit list) Battery Click on Battery links below No. Caliber Type Mount Service Years Notes Battery Hoskins 2 12" Casemated Barbette 1917-1921-1921-1946 Casemated in World War II Completed 20 Aug 1944 Source: CDSG World War II (1941-1945) Fort Crockett's coastal gun batteries were upgraded during World War II with the major improvement being the casemating of the 12" guns of Battery Hoskins. The casemating of Battery Hoskins began in 1942 and was completed in 1943 under strict security. The urgency of the project was brought about by German Submarines operating in the Gulf of Mexico along the shipping lanes off Texas. Radar and anti-aircraft guns were added to the post along with numerous fire control stations. Starting in 1943 Fort Crockett was a prisoner of war camp that housed a total of 650 POWs. The camp encompassed the area from 53rd Street to 57th Street and from Avenue Q to Seawall Boulevard. The camp operated until Fort Crockett was deactivated in 1946. Current Status Mostly over built with commercial development, some emplacements can still be seen. No period guns or carriages in place. {"selectable":false,"width":"500"} Location: Galveston Island, Galveston County, Texas. Maps & Images Lat: 29.2745877 Long: -94.8126367 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 7' Recent Blog Posts: Galveston Harbor Defenses 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 761 Gaines, William, The Seacoast Defenses of Galveston, Texas, The Coast Defense Journal, Vol 21, Issue 4, Nov 2007, page 4 U.S.Army, Supplement to the Harbor Defense Project of Galveston, (HD-G-ANN-45), 15 Mar 1944, CDSG Links: North American Forts - Galveston NOAA - Fort Crockett CDSG Visited: 12 Nov 2009 Fort Crockett Picture Gallery Click on the picture to see a larger version. Contribute additional pictures - the more the better! Fort Crockett Commanding Officer's Quarters Fort Crockett Theater Fort Crockett Barracks Mess Hall Fort Crockett Officer's Quarters Fort Crockett Officer's Quarters