Fort Flagler

Fort Flagler (1897-1953) - An Endicott Period coastal fort established in 1897, activated on 27 Jul 1899 and named after Brig. Gen. Daniel Webster Flagler. Located on Marrowstone Point, Jefferson County, Washington. The fort was closed 7 Jun 1953.

Fort Flagler Entrance Sign	Fort Flagler NCO Quarters now Guest Quarters
Fort Flagler North Side Parade Ground and World War II Barracks
Fort Flagler South Side Parade Ground

History of Fort Flagler

Part of the Harbor Defense of Puget Sound. Fort Flagler, along with Fort Worden and Fort Casey, guarded the entrance to Puget Sound. These posts, established in the late 1890's, became the first line of a fortification system designed to prevent a hostile fleet from reaching the Bremerton Naval Yard and the cities of Seattle, Tacoma and Everett.

Endicott Period

Fort Flagler was originally constructed with three coastal gun batteries, Battery Revere, Battery Wilhelm and Battery Rawlins. The contract for the construction of these original gun batteries was awarded 22 Jun 1897, to the Pacific Bridge Company, Portland, Oregon. The batteries were completed in 1899 but not accepted for service until 17 Aug 1902. Two additional batteries, Battery Bankhead and Battery Lee were completed in 1900 and 1902 respectively and they were also accepted for service on 17 Aug 1902.

Initial construction of barracks and support facilities (12 buildings total) was complete in June 1899 and the Post was activated 27 Jul 1899. The first garrison was a detachment of 86 Enlisted men and three Officers from Battery B, 3rd U.S. Coastal Artillery, commanded by Capt. John D.C. Hoskins. Fort Flagler was made Headquarters of the Harbor Defense Command of Puget Sound because Fort Worden did not yet have permanent facilities complete. On 4 Sep 1904 the headquarters of the Harbor Defense Command of Puget Sound was transferred from Fort Flagler to Fort Worden.

Four additional batteries, Battery Grattan, Battery Calwell, Battery Downes and Battery Wansboro were completed in 1905-1906 and all were accepted for service on 23 Apr 1907.

**Fort Flagler Endicott Period Battery** (edit list)
Battery Click on Battery links below	No.	Caliber	Type Mount	Service Years	Battery Cost	Notes
Battery Bankhead	8	12"	Mortar	1900-1902-1902-1942	$ 89,584	4 Mortars removed in 1918
Battery Wilhelm	2	12"	Altered Gun Lift	1897-1899-1902-1942	$ 71,191	Named for Capt. William H. Wilhelm (Cullum 3272).
Battery Rawlins	2	10"	Barbette	1897-1899-1902-1918	$ 60,000
Battery Revere	2	10"	Barbette	1897-1899-1902-1941	$ 60,000	Guns to Canada
Battery Calwell	4	6"	Disappearing	1903-1905-1907-1917	$ 89,500	Guns to France
Battery Grattan	2	6"	Disappearing	1904-1906-1907-1917	$ 48,000	Guns to France
Battery Lee	2	5"	Balanced Pillar Mount	1899-1900-1902-1918	$ 15,500	Named for Lt. Walter H. Lee (Cullum 3998). Guns to Grays Harbor
Battery Downes	2	3"	Pedestal Mount	1904-1906-1907-1946	$ 12,000
Battery Wansboro	2	3"	Pedestal Mount	1903-1905-1907-1946	$ 14,000	Guns Replaced in 1960
Source: CDSG

World War I

During World War I eight of the fort's guns were sent to Europe and converted to field or railway guns and 2 were sent to Canada. After World War I Fort Flagler was used as a ROTC training center.

World War II

During World War II and the Korean War the fort was used for training in amphibious warfare.

**Fort Flagler World War II Battery** (edit list)
Battery Click on Battery links below	No.	Caliber	Type Mount	Service Years	Battery Cost
Battery AMTB - Marrowstone Point	2 2	90mm 90mm	Fixed Pedestal Mounts Mobile Mounts	1943-1943-1944-1946	$ 8,842
Battery Rawlins	3	3"	AA	1942-1943-1944-1946	$ 11,000
Source: CDSG

Cold War

At the end of the Korean War Fort Flagler was deactivated, 7 Jun 1953. The property was purchased by the State of Washington as a state park in 1955.

Current Status

Now a part of Fort Flagler State Park. Period guns and carriages installed in Battery Wansboro.

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Location: Marrowstone Point, Jefferson County, Washington

Maps & Images

Lat: 48.09767 Long: -122.69647

Multi Maps from ACME
Maps from Bing
Maps from Google
Elevation: 105'

Recent Blog Posts:

Coast Defense Study Group (CDSG) 2010 Conference Wrapup

Sources:

Hart, Herbert M., Tour Guide to Old Western Forts, Pruett Publishing Co., Boulder CO, 1980, ISBN 0-87108-568-2, page 184
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 832

Links:

Visited: 18 Jun 2009, 19 Jul 2008