The state of Maine has a series of historical forts dating back to the
colonial days and constructed during various conflicts that took place
between the French, English, and Indians. Some were built prior to and
during the civil war and later as coastal defenses during WWI and WWII.
Fort Allen
Eastern Promenade, Portland, Maine
See the remains of an 1814 era fort. Tiers of
earthworks are visible. A
sketch of Fort Allen from 1845 is provided by the Maine Memory Network,
a
map showing the general location of Fort Allen Park (infosports.com),
and click here for a
photo of Fort Allen Park.
Fort Baldwin
Phippsburg, Maine
Short description of
Fort Baldwin from Acadia.com. Fort
Baldwin. By Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Fort Edgecomb
Edgecomb, Maine
This fort was built in 1809-1809 to protect Wiscasset,
Maine - an important shipping center at the time. It was garrisoned
during the War of 1812 and the Civil War. It is located
on Davis Island. It is partially maintained by the
Friends of Fort Edgecomb. A photo and description is provided by
Fort Tours and
Portland Public Schools.
Fort Gorges
Hog Island Ledge, Portland, Maine
Era 1858, built of granite just prior to the Civil War.
The fort was built to cover the northeastern approaches to the harbor.
See the Wikipedia entry for
Fort
Gorges, photo and description by
Fort
Tours,
facts about Fort Gorges (Southern Maine Community College),
photos and description by Portland Public Schools,
photo by GoogleEarthHacks.com, and
A History of Fort Gorges (aroundmaine.com).
Fort Levett
Cushing Island, Maine
Near Portland, sits on about 140 acres on the southern side
of Cushing Island in Casco Bay. In the 1890s the Army established Fort
Levett. This fort was last used during WWII for coastal defense.
See
Cushing Island, Maine by Wikipedia.com. A news article published
in July 2006 provides some info on
Cushing Island. The Portland, ME public works department has an
online map of Cushing Island (Acrobat Reader file).
Fort Lyon
Cow Island, Portland, Maine
The military built Fort Lyon, provided it with two gun
batteries, to defend the harbor from enemy attack. The
Maine Coast Heritage Trust now holds a conservation easement for
Cow Island.
The island is used by
Rippleffect for youth and adult adventure and learning programs.
The west side of the island allows public access. The island is part
of the
Town of Long Island, Maine.
Fort McKinley
Great Diamond Island, Portland, Maine
This fort was built at the turn of the century and
served as coastal headquarters for the dense of Portland Harbor until the
end of World War II. See
history of Great Diamond Island (Great Diamond Rentals),
facts of the island (Wikipedia), and
Diamond
Cove History.
Fort Popham
Phippsburg, Maine
A granite fort with battery built in the 1860s to protect the Bath,
Maine shipyards and approaches to the Kennebec River. It is located at
the mouth of the Kennebec River in Phippsburg. It was in use
during the Spanish American War and World War I. An
aerial view of Fort Popham is provided by Google Earth Hacks. The
fort is now open to the public as a park.
Fort Pownal
Stockton Springs, Maine
The fort was built on the shore of the Penobscot River
shortly after 1758. It was captured by the British in 1775 and burned
down. Also known as Fort Point - see
Fort
Tours for a photo and description. See a
photo of
Fort Pownal by WikiMapia.com.
Fort Preble
South Portland, Maine
Located on the South Portland
waterfront, the
Portland
Harbor Museum lies within the granite walls of Fort Preble.
Fort Williams
Cape Elizabeth, Maine
This is located on the same site as the Portland Head
Light. It was established for coastal defense and was garrisoned up
until the end of World War II. See the following web sites for more
info on
history of Fort Williams (Fort Williams Charitable Foundation), the
Fort
Williams Centennial Celebration (Cape Elizabeth) held in 1999, and
Fort
Williams Park.
Steele and Cravens Batteries
Peaks Island, Portland, Maine