Fort Levett
Fort Levett (1894-1948) - An Endicott Period Coastal Fort first established in 1894 on Cushing's Island in Cumberland County, Maine. Named in G.O. 43, 4 Apr 1900, after Christopher Levett, who explored Portland Harbor in 1623 and built the first fortified structure in the vicinity. Abandoned in 1948.
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Endicott Period
Part of the Harbor Defense of Portland, Maine.
Construction began on the first two Endicott Period gun batteries in 1898 long before there were any permanent post buildings and long before there was any garrison at the post. Battery Bowdoin and Battery Kendrick were built as one and had the same completion date and acceptance date of 23 Apr 1903. The post and the first two batteries were all named in the same General Order 43, on 4 April 1900. The post was previously known as the Reservation on Cushing Island.
Fort Levett is shown at the end of 1903 with the first three batteries complete and turned over for service and as have all guns and carriages mounted but still without a garrison. Battery Daniels was also completed and accepted for service on 23 Apr 1903 and named in General Order 78 on 25 May 1903. Battery Ferguson was the last Endicott Period battery begun and it was accepted on 22 Jun 1906.
The construction of permanent post buildings was begun in 1904 and all were completed in1905. The post had been designed as a small one company coastal artillery fort and clearly did not have enough permanent housing for the number of troops required to service all of the gun batteries simultaneously. The permanent housing capacity was 5 officers, 5 NCOs, 114 enlisted men, 15 animals and 12 hospital beds. The guardhouse was sized for 24 prisoners and 12 guards.
Fort Levett was an open plan coastal fort with the housing and administrative buildings grouped around a rectangular parade that ran from the southwest to the northeast terminating at Spring Cove. The commanders quarters were centered at the southwest end, flanked by the married officer quarters on the left side and the married NCO quarters on the right. The single enlisted barracks was centered on the right flank and the Admin building and guardhouse were across the parade from the barracks. At the cove end of the parade was the hospital and the QM and Ordinance storehouse and a wharf that ran out into the cove. QM records indicate that by the end of 1910 the post was in caretaker status and operated as a sub post of Fort Williams.
| Battery Click on Battery links below |
No. | Caliber | Type Mount | Service Years | Battery Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Bowdoin | 3 | 12" | Disappearing | 1898-1903-1903-1943 | $ 190,291 | |
| Battery Kendrick | 2 | 10" | Disappearing | 1898-1903-1903-1942 | $ 118,578 | |
| Battery Ferguson | 2 | 6" | Pedestal | 1906-1947 | $ 58,500 | |
| Battery Daniels | 2 | 3" | Masking Parapet | 1903-1920 | $ 14,994 | |
| Source: CDSG | ||||||
World War I
| Battery Click on Battery links below |
No. | Caliber | Type Mount | Service Years | Battery Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Foote | 2 | 12" | Long Range Barbette | 1917-1920-1921-1948 | $ 236,700* | Casemated WWII 1944 |
| Source: CDSG | ||||||
World War II
Current Status
On Cushing's Island, Cumberland County, Maine. Private property.
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Location: Cushing's Island, Cumberland County, Maine. Maps & Images Lat: 43.6431387 Long: -70.1953252 |
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 366-367
- U.S.Army, Supplement to the Harbor Defense Project of Portland, Maine, (HDPB-AN-45), 11 Apr 1945, CDSG
- Coast Defense Study Group, CDSG Press, CDSG Digital Library
Links:
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Fort Levett Picture Gallery
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