Fort Warren (2)
Fort Warren (2) (1847-1947) - Constructed between 1833-1861 and dedicated in 1847 as a Third System Fort. Located on Georges Island at the entrance to Boston Harbor, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. Named after Dr. Joseph Warren who was killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Decommissioned in 1947.
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Third System (1816-1867)
Fort Warren was built from 1833-1861 under the supervision of Col. Sylvanus Thayer and was completed shortly after the beginning of the U.S. Civil War. The fort was built with granite and stone as a pentagon with bastions at each corner. A large ravelin with gun positions covered the ship channels. The walls were two stories tall with large brick vaulted casemates roofs to support the barbette tier. The fort was designed to mount over 200 cannons, including some heavy mortars and flanking howitzers. Most of the armament was emplaced on the barbette tier.
U.S. Civil War (1861-1865)
Fort Warren was never fully armed. During the U.S. Civil War, it was heavily armed with 10 and 15 inch Rodman cannons, the largest available coastal guns. Union troops first garrisoned the fort in April 1861. During the war the fort was a training camp for Union recruits and a prisoner-of-war camp for some 2,000 plus captured Confederate personnel and sympathizers.
Endicott Period (1890-1910)
Five Endicott Period gun batteries were built into and outside of the old granite fort starting in 1892. The two earliest batteries Battery Bartlett and Battery Adams were among the earliest Endicott Period batteries built and they suffered from the learning curve. Battery Adams proved to be unserviceable early and was abandoned in 1914. Battery Bartlett manage a long life, even though it was built with Rosendale cement instead of Portland cement. By 1902, all of the batteries were complete.
| Battery Click on Battery links below |
No. | Caliber | Type Mount | Service Years | Battery Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Stevenson | 2 | 12" | Disappearing | 1899-1902-1903-1944 | $ 144,495 | |
| Battery Bartlett | 4 | 10" | Disappearing. | 1892-1899-1899-1942 | $ 236,106 | |
| Battery Adams | 1 | 10" | Disappearing | 1892-1899-1899-1914 | $ 92,138 | |
| Battery Plunkett | 2 | 4" | Pedestal | 1898-1899-1899-1920 | $ 9,084 | |
| Battery Lowell | 3 | 3" | Masking parapet | 1899-1900-1900-1920 | $ 12,750 | |
| Source: CDSG | ||||||
World War I (1917-1918)
Fort Warren served as a mine control center during World War I, placing, and electrically controlling mines placed on the harbor floor. All four of the gun tubes in Battery Bartlett were dismounted during the war for shipment overseas to the front in Europe. Only two of the guns actually made it to France with the other two in stateside depots. Battery Bartlett remained unarmed until a new set of guns was emplaced in 1919. Battery Plunkett and Battery Lowell were deactivated during the disarmament period in 1920.
World War II (1941-1945)
During World War II Fort Warren served as a control center for the south mine field in Boston Harbor and was interconnected with the mine casemates at Fort Dawes and Great Brewster Island. The mine casemate at Fort Warren had a capacity of ten mine groups, each group consisting of 19 individual mines. Fort Strong also had a capacity of ten mine groups but the Great Brewster Island mine casemate could control 20 mine groups. Fort Warren actually deployed seven mine groups in the south channel during the war. Deactivated gun battery magazines were used to store the mine explosives which totaled some 1,521,000 pounds of TNT required for Boston Harbor mines.
Only two of the five Endicott Period batteries were operational at the beginning of World War II. Battery Bartlett was obsolete at the beginning of the war and, by the end of 1942, it was deactivated and ordered scrapped. Battery Stevenson was also obsolete but was retained until newer batteries were completed, it was deactivated early in 1944. By April 1944, all of the Endicott Period gun batteries were deactivated.
Fort Warren was permanently decommissioned in 1947.
Current Status
The State of Massachusetts obtained possession in 1958 from the U.S. General Services Administration. The fort was opened to the public after initial restoration efforts in 1961. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation maintains and administers the fort.
Access to the fort is by boat with public boat service provided under park service contract. Transportation departs from Boston's Long-Wharf and other locations dependent on the time of year. Check the park service website for fares and schedule. Parking is very expensive in downtown Boston so use public transportation to get to the pier if possible. Tour boat departs from the pier in back of the Marriot hotel on the Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park side.
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Location: On Georges Island at the entrance to Boston Harbor, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. Maps & Images Lat: 42.320335 Long: -70.927756 |
Sources:
- Lewis, Emanuel Raymond, Seacoast Fortifications of the United States: An Introductory History, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis MD, 7th printing, 1993, ISBN 1-55750-502-0, page 90
- 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 411-412
- U.S.Army, Supplement to the Harbor Defense Project of Boston, Massachusetts, (HDB-AN-45), 31 Jan 1945, CDSG
Links:
Visited: 24 May 2012
Fort Warren (2) Picture Gallery
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Click on the picture to see a larger version. Contribute additional pictures - the more the better! |
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Fort Warren guardhouse (left) and sentry box (on right) at the entrance about 1861 -
Fort Warren Guardhouse 2012 -
Fort Warren Large Caliber Civil War Gun Position -
Fort Warren Bakery -
Fort Warren Powerhouse
