Fort Wetherill

Fort Wetherill (1900-1946) - First established in 1900 on the site of earlier fortifications at Conanicut Island, Newport County, Rhode Island. Named in G.O. 43, 4 Apr 1900, after Capt. Alexander M. Wetherill, 6th U.S. Infantry, who was killed in action 1 Jul 1898, at San Juan, Santiago, Cuba, during the Spanish-American War. Abandoned in 1946. Other earlier fortifications on this site include Fort Conanicut, Fort Brown (2), Fort Louis and Fort Dumplings

Endicott Period

Part of the Harbor Defense of Narragansett Bay.

**Fort Wetherill Endicott Period Battery** (edit list)
Battery Click on Battery links below	No.	Caliber	Type Mount	Service Years	Battery Cost	Notes
Battery Varnum	2	12"	Barbette	1898-1899-1901-1943	$ 146,704
Battery Wheaton	2	12"	Disappearing	1902-1904-1908-1945	$ 200,000
Battery Walbach	3	10"	Disappearing	1901-1904-1908-1936	$ 119,171	1 gun to Battery Hale, Fort Greble (2) 1918 2 guns to Fort H.G. Wright 1936
Battery Zook	3	6"	Disappearing	1903-1904-1908-1917	$ 81,475	3 guns to France
Battery Dickenson	2	6"	Pedestal	1901-1902-1908-1947	$ 36,500
Battery Crittenden	2	3"	Pedestal	1901-1902-1908-1946	$ 15,050	2 guns from Battery Belton, Fort Adams (1) 1925
Battery Cooke	2	3"	Masking Parapet	1899-1899-1901-1920	$ 11,454
Source: CDSG

Construction of the Endicott Period gun batteries began in 1898-1899 with the construction of Battery Varnum and Battery Cooke which were right next to each other. Both of these batteries were accepted for service on 15 Feb 1901. Construction of the next set began in 1901-1903 and included Battery Wheaton, Battery Walbach, Battery Dickenson, Battery Zook and Battery Crittenden. This second set were built adjacent to each other and constituted a main gun line for the fort with 2-12", 3-10", 5-6" and 2-3" guns all in a row. The batteries of this second set were also all accepted for service on the same day, 7 May 1908.

World War I

Fort Wetherill expanded significantly during World War I to include a large number of temporary World War I buildings which were often frame buildings covered with tar paper. The 1921 post map shows a significant number of temporary buildings just north of the main gun line that include at least nine barracks, five mess halls, a post exchange, a Y.M.C.A. and a guard house. Further to the east are the six officer quarters and a hospital. None of these buildings appear on the 1938 post map

World War II

Current Status

Part of Fort Wetherill State Park.

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Location: Fort Wetherill State Park, Jamestown, Conanicut Island, Newport County, Rhode Island.

Maps & Images

Lat: 41.4795467 Long: -71.3650529

Multi Maps from ACME
Maps from Bing
Maps from Google
Elevation: 62'

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 706
U.S.Army, Supplement to the Harbor Defense Project of Narragansett Bay, (HDNARB-AP-45), 1 Feb 1945, CDSG

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