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.
 |
 |
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 but throughout 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 and a prisoner-of-war camp for some 2,000 plus captured Confederate personnel and sympathizers.
Endicott Period (1890-1910)
It was modified in the late 1890's accommodate the newer rifled ordnance of the Endicott Period. Fort Warren was active through the Spanish American War and World War I.
| 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)
World War II (1941-1945)
During World War II Fort Warren served as a control center for the south mine field in Boston Harbor. 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.
|
{"selectable":false,"width":"500"} |
Location: 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: No
Fort Warren (2) Picture Gallery
|
Click on the picture to see a larger version. Contribute additional pictures - the more the better! |
-
Fort Warren guardhouse (left) and sentry box (on right) at the entrance about 1861
