Fort Knox (1)
Fort Knox (1) (1844-1923) - A Third System Fort designed by Chief Engineer Joseph G. Totten and constructed between 1844-1869 under the supervision of Isaac Ingalls Stevens, Thomas L. Casey and others. Named for Major General Henry Knox, first U.S. Secretary of War.
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Third System (1816-1867)
Established to protect the Penobscot River valley from attack.
Fort Knox was designed as a two level granite Third System Fort containing mounts for 64 cannons. Four external batteries, mounting a total of 69 cannons, cover four lines of defense outside the main building.
Two major external gun batteries were constructed in front and below the stone fort in the 1840s to provide an interim defense while fort construction continued. The batteries were designated Battery "A" and Battery "B" and were first completed in the 1840s but not armed. These batteries were designed for the armament of the day like the 32-pounder smooth bore cannon.
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Fort Knox Park Entrance -
Fort Knox Converted Rodman Cannon Muzzle -
Double Gun Casemate -
Circular Staircase -
Bakery -
Barracks Rooms -
Restored Magazine Entrance -
Restored Magazine Interior
U.S. Civil War (1861-1865)
At the beginning of the U.S. Civil War the fort was still not nearly complete and Battery A and Battery B still had no cannons. When then Captain Thomas L. Casey took charge of construction in August 1862 the fort still had no cannons and it was clear that the armament that the fort was designed for was no longer adequate. Batteries A and B had been designed for cannons like the smoothbore 32-pounder that would be hopelessly outgunned by newer guns. Both Battery A and Battery B were rebuilt for the newer 10" and 15" Rodman cannons and that work was complete about 1863. The first 10 Rodman cannons arrived in July 1863 and were split between Battery A and Battery B, Battery A received eight of the 10" Rodmans and Battery B received two 10" Rodmans. Sixty four more cannons were delivered before before the decision was made to stop arming Fort Knox.
Batteries A and B were again modified to hold three 15" Rodman cannons in 1865-1867. Two of the 15" Rodmans were planned for Battery A and one for Battery B. 1870 era photographs show battery A fully armed including the two 15" Rodmans and thirty two 10" Rodmans.
The upper level of the main fort, the terreplein, was built to mount thirty cannons and was complete in September 1864 but it was never armed. The casemates below the terreplein were meant to protect another 23 larger cannons. At least fourteen 10" Rodman cannons were mounted in the casemates.
Work stopped in 1869 and the fort was still not completely finished.
As late as 31 Dec 1916 the fort is shown as having three 15" Rodman cannons and sixteen 10" Rodman cannons mounted and the fort in the care of an ordinance sergeant.
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Battery A -
Battery B -
Battery B 15" Rodman Cannon Barrel -
Battery B Hotshot Furnace -
Battery D -
Fort Knox Ditch -
Fort Knox Ditch Entrance -
Lower Stone Wall
Current Status
One of the best preserved coastal fortifications in New England. Mounted cannons on display inside and out. A magazine has been restored and is on display. Exceptional interpretive signs and displays. This is a must-see fort.
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Location: On Route 174, just off U.S. Route 1 west of the Waldo-Hancock Bridge, Prospect, Waldo County, Maine Maps & Images Lat: 44.56615 Long: -68.802438 |
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
- Kaufmann, J.E. and Kaufmann, H.W., Fortress America: The Forts That Defended America, 1600 to the Present, DaCapo Press, 2004, ISBN 0-306-81294-0, page 210-211
Links:
Visited: 16 Jun 2012
Fort Knox (1) Picture Gallery
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