Fort Banks (2)

Fort Banks (2) (1889-1966) - An Endicott Period Coastal Fort first established in 1889 as Winthrop Military Reservation (1889-1898) in Suffolk County, Massachusetts. Named Fort Banks in G.O. 134, 22 Jul 1899, after MG Nathaniel P. Banks, U.S. Volunteers, U.S. Civil War. 24th Governor of Massachusetts and a former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Declared excess on 31 Jan 1950 and deactivated on 30 Sep 1966.

Fort Banks, 1900 Commanding Officer Quarters	Fort Banks, 1900 C.A. Battery Barracks, 109 Man
Fort Banks 1924 Aerial View. Note the Mortar Batteries in the center

Endicott Period

Part of the Harbor Defense of Boston, Massachusetts.

Fort Banks was one of the first Endicott Period forts to build and arm 12" breach loading mortar batteries. Two batteries were built, Battery Kellogg and Battery Lincoln and they were both accepted for service on 2 Sep 1896. Each battery had eight mortars arranged into two mortar pits of four mortars. These two mortar batteries were the only Endicott Period gun batteries on the post.

In 1904 a mortar was accidentally fired with the breech block not completely closed. The 800 lb shell remained in the mortar but the breech block was blown off killing three and injuring twelve. This was one of the worst gun battery accidents recorded.

The older M1886 mortars were swapped out for newer M1890 mortars from Battery Bagley at Fort Caswell about 1911 and Battery Meigs at Fort Washington (1) in 1913.

In 1912 it was determined that the wrong cement (Rosendale) had been used in the construction of both batteries and both batteries were reconstructed with Portland cement between 1912 and 1916. The cost of the reconstruction was significantly higher than the original construction cost.

**Fort Banks (2) Endicott Period Battery** (edit list)
Battery Click on Battery links below	No.	Caliber	Type Mount	Service Years	Battery Cost
Battery Lincoln (1)	8	12"	Mortar	1892-1896-1896-1942	$ 78,395 $ 96,620
Battery Kellogg	8	12"	Mortar	1892-1896-1896-1942	$ 78,395 $ 111,210
Source: CDSG

World War I

Toward the end of World War I, two mortars from each of the mortar batteries were dismounted, prepared for shipment and transferred to Morgan. This left each mortar battery with six mortars.

World War II

At the beginning of World War II both Battery Lincoln and Battery Kellogg were obsolete and by the end of 1942 they had both been ordered salvaged.

Current Status

Partially destroyed on private property, Suffolk County, Massachusetts.

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Location: Fort Banks, Suffolk County, Massachusetts.

Maps & Images

Lat: 42.387242 Long: -70.983294

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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 394
U.S.Army, Supplement to the Harbor Defense Project of Boston, Massachusetts, (HDB-AN-45), 31 Jan 1945, CDSG
CDSG

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