Endangered Coast Defense Sites
The purpose of this page is to highlight former coast defense sites that are endangered either actively or passively. The initial list that follows aren’t necessarily the most endangered sites, but were picked because each of them has people or groups actively working to preserve them.
Site:
Fort Monroe, Hampton, Virginia
This is the largest bastioned Third System fort in the United States and it has been occupied by the US Army since 1819. It was once home to the U.S. Coast Artillery Schoo,l so many of its Endicott-Taft batteries have been well photographed as part of training programs.
Threat:
Under the 2005 BRAC program, the US Army is leaving this post in 2011 and the future of the entire site is uncertain. The State of Virginia will take over the fort reservation and decide on its future use. The cost of maintaining the site is driving the need to allow for commercial development on part of the site to generate fees and taxes for Hampton and the State. A citizens effort is underway to turn Fort Monroe into a national park, but the NPS is concerned about gaining a complex property without funding.
Contact:
Citizens for a Fort Monroe National Park,
a non-profit, educational organization.
P.O. Box 97,
Fort Monroe, Virginia 23651.
Email:
contact@cfmnp.orgWebsite:
www.cfmnp.org
Site:
Fort Screven, Tybee Island, Georgia
This Endicott-Taft fort was constructed to defend Savannah from naval attack in 1897. The fort was decommissioned in 1947 and sold to the Town of Tybee which subdivide the fort into lots and sold off the military structures.
Threat:
Over the past 30 years Tybee Island is become a popular beach resort. As the vacant lots have been fully developed the demand for building sites has caused developers to turn to remaining batteries as sites for homes. One example is Battery Backus which mounted a 6-inch gun and later two 4.7-inch guns. The owner of this site wants to build a home on top of the battery.
Contact:
Site:
Advance Redoubt at Fort Adams, Newport , Rhode Island
As part of the land defense of Fort Adams, one the largest of the Third System forts, the Advance Redoubt protects the main fort from an siege by occupying the high ground to the south. One of the few remaining advance redoubts this granite work is basically a small fort with its own defenses.
Threat:
While the entire reservation is now the Fort Adams State Park and the Fort Adam Trust is working to restore the main fort, the Advance Redoubt at Fort Adams is endangered by deferred maintenance such as extensive vegetation and poor drainage which causes both water damage and freezing damage to the stonework. One key feature that is threatened is the rare dual spiral staircase that has not been maintained in many years.
Contact:
Fort Adams Trust,
a non-profit, educational organization.
90 Fort Adams Drive
Fort Adams State Park Newport, RI 02840
Phone: (401) 841-0707
Fax: (401)841-0790
Email:
ehertfelder@fortadams.orgWebsite:
www.fortadams.org
Site:
Fort Barrette, Kapolei, Oahu, Hawaii
Battery Hatch is Fort Barrette’s only battery, but it’s a large 16-inch battery that originally built in 1934 without any overhead casemates. During World War II casemates were built over each of the two 16-inch guns to protect them aerial bombing. By 1948 the big guns were gone and the US Army used the fort for various purposes until turning the property over the City and County of Honolulu.
Threat:
The Parks and Recreation Department has control of the former fort and the property has been an undeveloped park for many years as it was surrounded by pineapple and sugarcane fields. In the last ten years that has changed as the park is now surrounded by residential development as Kapolei is one of Oahu fastest growing areas. Local groups are pushing to turn the part into traditional park with sport fields, and in fact part of the reservation has already turned in green space. A local archery group is currently using the site in exchange for “maintaining” the site.
Contact:
There is no organized group working to protect this coast defense site. For more information, please contact CDSG member John Bennett at his email address:
bennettj009@hawaiiantel.net
Site:
Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas, Florida
Designed as the largest Third System brick and masonry fort in the U.S. Fort Jefferson was to be a three-tiered six-sided 420 heavy gun fort, with two sides measuring 325 feet, four sides measuring 477 feet and bastions at each corner upon completion. The isolated fort, constructed from 1846 to 1866, was to protect the Florida Strait. In 1935 the fort was transferred to the National Park Service as a national monument.
Threat:
While it is protected as part of the National Park System, sections of the fort are suffering severe deterioration – particularly the metal embrasure shutters which expand when they corrode, breaking apart the stone and brick work around them. Work has been done recently but there were only sufficient funds to cover one face of the fort and much still needs to be done.
Contact:
There is no organized group working to protect this coast defense site. For more information, please contact NPS address:
Dry Tortugas National Park
P.O. Box 6208
Key West, FL 33041
Phone: 305-242-7700
Fax: 305-242-7711
Website:
ww.nps.gov/drto
Site:
Fort Amador & Grant, Balboa, Panama and Fort Randolph, Margarita Island, Panama
The completion of Panama Canal in 1914 caused the US Army to construct coast defenses on both the Pacific and Caribbean side. Using the spoil from the canal Fort Amador was created and causeway were built to several islands offshore. These islands were used for several large caliber disappearing guns and mortars. These Endicott-Taft batteries represent the final stages in their design and function. Many unique feature, such as underground tunnels and lifts were included. After World War II these batteries were disarmed, while the US Army used them for other purposes until 1979 when they were turned over to the Panamanian government. Little development occurred for the next twenty until the ownership of the Panama Canal was turned over to Panama in 2000.
Threat:
Since the ownership of the Panama Canal was turned over to the Panamanian government in 2000 a commercial development plan for these forts has been in place. The last ten years have seen most the Army buildings at Fort Amador demolished, while on the fortified island of Fort Grant have suffered from the building of a large water tank, marina, condos, and a shopping center on top of coast artillery batteries. Fort Randolph had all its building destroyed leaving only the batteries. Several attempts at turning the former fort into a commercial manufacturing zone have failed resulting in an abandoned property. The remaining coast defense structures are at risk due continuing commercial development.
Contact:
There is no organized group working to protect these coast defense sites. For more information, please contact Terry McGovern for more information at
tcmcgovern@att.net
Site:
Fort W.G. Wright, Fisher Island, New York
As the headquarters fort for the Defenses of Long Island Sound, Fort W.G. Wright was a large Endicott-Taft fort that support a range of both rapid-fire and disappearing guns and mortars, along with a controlled mine depot. It supported several smaller forts defending Long Island Sound so it had a large warehouse and recreation/health complex. The US Army made us of this fort from 1879 to 1948. In the late 1950’s it was sold to private interests.
Threat:
Since the former fort was purchased by private interests many of its structures have been demolished or converted to other uses. The fort infrastructure was turned into the island commercial center supporting the island residence with transportation, educational, and utilities. These activities have caused widespread damage and destruction to the military structures, especially the batteries that are been used for trash disposal and landfill activities. Continued commercial development threats even more of the remaining sites at Fort W.G. Wright
Contact:
There is no organized group working to protect this coast defense site. For more information, please contact CDSG Preservation Officer Gordon Bliss at his email address:
preservation@cdsg.org
Site:
Louisiana Forts
(Fort Jackson, Fort St Philip, Fort Pike, Fort Macomb, Proctor’s Tower, and Fort Livingston )
The defense of the Mississippi River and New Orleans has been important military objective since the War of 1812. As a result several early Third System forts were constructed along the various waterways leading to New Orleans. The primary defense works were Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip on the Mississippi River, about 90 miles downriver from the city. Secondary works were constructed at the entrances to Lake Pontchartrain and at Grand Isle from the Gulf of Mexico. Many of these defenses were involved in the Civil War and later had Endicott-Taft batteries added. By the 1920’s most of these defenses had been abandoned.
Threat:
Large masonry structures built in marshlands and exposed to periodic hurricanes need constant care, but unfortunately these works have receive little care over the last 100 years. The wasting away of the Mississippi delta has brought these forts closer to the Gulf while the have sunk lower into the mud. This has causes large cracks and erosion of their foundations. Commercial development and dredging round these works has also had a negative effect. Without maintenance these forts will disappear into the swamps. In fact one defense, Tower Dupre was complete destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2004.
Contact:
There is no organized group working to protect this coast defense site. For more information, please contact:
Louisiana Office of State Parks
P.O. Box 44426
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-4426
Phone: 225-342-8111
Email:
parks@crt.state.la.us
