Fort McClary

Fort McClary (1808-1918) - An Second System Coastal Fort first established in 1808 on Kittery Point in York County, Maine. Named for Major Andrew McClary, who died in 1775 at the Battle of Bunker Hill during the Revolutionary War. Abandoned in 1918.

Fort McClary Blockhouse Interior	Fort McClary Gun Battery
Fort McClary 2012
Fort McClary circa 1902

Second System (1808-1816)

Originally built as a Second System fortification with two batteries, an upper battery and a lower battery. Post buildings that included two brick riflemen's houses, a brick barracks and a brick external magazine were located in the upper battery. The fort was built on the site of previous fortifications that included Fort William (3).

In1844-46 a large octagonal two story blockhouse was built in the upper battery. The blockhouse was built with strong timbers on a stone foundation and included a subterranean magazine located in the center of the blockhouse. Officer's quarters were located on the upper floor of the blockhouse while the enlisted quarters were on the lower level.

The fort was deactivated in 1844.

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  Fort McClary 1808 Brick Magazine
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  Fort McClary 1808 Brick Magazine Interior
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  Fort McClary Brick Rifleman's House
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  Fort McClary Blockhouse Magazine
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  Fort McClary Blockhouse Cannon
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  Fort McClary Blockhouse Stairs to Officer Quarters
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  Fort McClary Blockhouse Officer Quarters
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  Fort McClary Blockhouse Interior

Third System (1816-1867)

Third System Powder Magazine

Proposed to be upgrade to a full Third System fort by Brig. Gen.Joseph G. Totten, Chief Engineer of the United States Army. The fort was to work in conjunction with Fort Constitution (2) to guard the entrance to Portsmouth harbor. Construction began in 1863 but was curtailed soon after the end of the U.S. Civil War. The partially complete walls can be seen today.

The Third System fort was constructed as an irregular pentagon with three sides and two bastions to the rear and two sides facing the water. A caponier was centered between the two walls facing the water. The original blockhouse, the magazine and a barracks were among the structures at the center of the new fortifications. Protection was provided for both the land side and the sea side. The walls were never completed above the first tier and modifications in the form of earthworks were built as temporary protection.

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  Fort McClary 1864 Bastion
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  Fort McClary 1864 Land Side Bastion
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  Fort McClary Caponier
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  Fort McClary Caponier Entrance

Endicott Period (1890-1910)

Part of the Harbor Defense of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Three 15" Rodman smoothbore cannons were emplaced during the Spanish-American War as a temporary defense. These smoothbore cannons were still emplaced as late as 7 Dec 1903.

Fort McClary Endicott Period Battery (edit list)

Battery Click on Battery links below	No.	Caliber	Type Mount	Service Years	Battery Cost	Notes
Battery Unnamed	3	15" SB	Rodman Iron Carriage	1898-190?	$ ?	In place 7 Dec 1903
Source: CDSG

Fort McClary Plan

World War I (1917-1918)

Equipped as an observation post during World War I and closed in 1918 at the end of the war.

Current Status

Part of Fort McClarey State Historic Site on Kittery Point, York County, Maine. Partially completed walls remain with cut granite stone blocks scattered about. Buildings on the site include the refurbished blockhouse, magazine and the shell of the Rifleman's house. Foundations of the second Rifleman's house and the barracks are exposed.

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Location: Fort McClary State Historic Site, York County, Maine. Maps & Images Lat: 43.0831445 Long: -70.7089412 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 39'

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 367
• Weaver, John R. II, A Legacy in Brick and Stone: America Coastal Defense Forts of the Third System, Redoubt Press, McLean, 2001, First Printing, ISBN 1-57510-069-X, page 81
• Coast Defense Study Group, CDSG Press, CDSG Digital Library

Links:

• North American Forts - Fort McClary
• North American Forts - Fort McClary Main Page
• Wikipedia - Fort McClary
• Fort McClary State Park
• Friends of Fort McClary

Visited: 20 Jun 2012

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