| Abandoned, strange, historic, haunted & just plain interesting places New England's #1 UE Website! |
Buildings Military |
Ghost Towns |
Underground |
Cemeteries |
Forums |
Emails Home |
Known as "The Castle" by colonists, the first fort was built in 1631 out of earth with four guns. In 1666 a wood blockhouse was built and in 1692 it was renamed Fort William and Mary after the ruling British monarchs. The first stone walls were put in place in 1705. Repairs and more guns were added in the 1750's when the fort held between 4 to 8 men, increased to between 20 and 40 during times of crisis. In the 1770's improvements were made and a battery protected by a stone wall was built. The first harbor light was built in 1771, which consisted of a lantern hung on a flagpole, a wooden lighthouse was built after. On December 14th & 15th, 1774, about 400 men took control of the fort from the British, taking 16 cannons and 97 barrels of gunpowder. Two British warships soon arrived and the British disarmed the fort and sent the remaining guns and supplies to Boston, then under seige by the army of General George Washington. The New Hampshire militia took the fort and renamed it Fort Hancock, after John Hancock of Massachusetts. After 1778 the fort went into disuse and was known simply as Fort Castle. In 1791 the State of New Hampshire gave the land to the United States and it was renamed Fort Constitution in 1802, though the official renaming order wasn't issued until 1937. Repairs and modifications were completed in 1808 which is what we see today. In 1814 Walbach Tower was built on a small hill nearby. In 1899 Battery Farnsworth was completed in the hill beneath Walbach Tower. This area is currently behind a fence due to it's condition. In 1901 a brick storage building was built to store mines. Also in that year a wooden building was built in front of the old gatehouse. In 1904 a two-story wooden fire control station was built behind Walbach Tower, the same year a second battery was built between Battery Farnsworth and the fort, named Battery Hackleman. In 1907 a wooden room was built in front of the storage building. In 1942 a concrete mine observation station was built in top of Battery Farnsworth. The Army closed the fort, and those nearby, in 1948. The National Guard used the fort for training until 1958. In 1965 Battery Hackleman was torn down and the current USCG building was built. The old mine storehouse is the Coastal Marine Laboratory of UNH. In 1973 the fort was placed on the National Register or Historic Places. Many of the buildings are off limits. There is a parking area behind Battery Farnsworth, which is fenced off. From the parking area there is a painted blue line through the USCG parking area. You must stay on this line to enter the open part of the fort. Parking and visiting the fort is free. For more history check out Pete Payette's American Forts
|
Found a typo, broken link or a place we should check out? Email us
IUSSA reminds visitors that abandoned areas can be dangerous areas. Also remember, that 'no trespassing' means exactly what it says and furthermore IUSSA reminds you to NEVER break anything in order to investigate a site or to vandalize!
Take only pictures, leave only footprints.
Help IUSSA, make a purchase from our Amazon.com link