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Fort William and Mary
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Fort Constitution | |
|---|---|
| (U.S. National Register of Historic Places) | |
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| Location: | New Castle, New Hampshire |
| Coordinates: | |
| Built/Founded: | 1774 |
| Added to NRHP: | July 09, 1973 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 73000169[1] |
| Governing body: | State |
Fort William and Mary was a colonial defensive post at New Castle, New Hampshire. First fortified in 1632 on the island of New Castle at the mouth of the Piscataqua River estuary, the fort guarded access to the harbor at Portsmouth.
On December 14, 1774, a local mob of several hundred from the Portsmouth area, led by John Langdon, stormed the post and seized the powder, which was distributed through several New Hampshire towns for the use of the local militia.
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Fort William and Mary was the only military post in the Portsmouth area and was normally used only to store supplies and during militia training or drills. But, as tensions increased before the war, Lord North's ministry had cautioned the colonial governors to secure arms, powder, and shot. Accordingly, in the summer of 1774 Governor John Wentworth installed a small garrison to guard it. Then on October 19, King George forbade the export of arms and powder to America. Like North's orders, this was kept confidential but word reached the colonies.
The port at Boston had been closed and the city occupied. The Portsmouth Committees of Safety and Correspondence were aware that powder and shot had been seized elsewhere, including a recent action in Rhode Island. There were rumors that additional naval and troop support were expected from Boston, and might be used to expand the regular army's occupation. Then on December 13, Paul Revere brought word that the rumors of expected troops were true.
The next day, John Langdon made his way through Portsmouth with a drummer. When he had collected a crowd, he spoke to them. About 40 then joined him to take the powder from the fort. A single volley rang from the fort and was answered by some shots from the crowd, but there were no injuries. They stormed into the fort, quickly overwhelming the British Captain Cochran and his garrison of five men. Breaking into the magazine, they removed 72 barrels of powder.
One day later, additional rebel forces came from throughout the colony, led by John Sullivan. They first surrounded the governor's home, but he gave in to their demands and violence was averted. That evening, on December 15, they returned to the fort, and removed all of the arms and supplies and some cannons.
Despite his assurances, Governor Wentworth had asked Boston for help, and the frigate Scarborough arrived on December 19 to assure his control with 40 guns and 100 marines. But by the summer of 1775, the governor and his family had to take refuge in the fort. Finally giving up, the British dismantled the fort and took any remaining equipment back to Boston, along with Governor Wentworth. The captured supplies were later used by New Hampshire's forces in the Siege of Boston.
The state gave Frost Point, on which Fort William and Mary stands, to the Federal government in 1791 to protect Portsmouth. In 1800, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard was established upriver on Fernald's Island (now part of Seavey's Island), and the fort was rebuilt. Walls were doubled in height, and new brick buildings added. Work was completed in 1808, when the defense was renamed Fort Constitution. On July 4, 1809, an accidental explosion marred the Independence Day celebration at the fort, killing a number of soldiers and civilians. It was manned and expanded during the War of 1812. On a nearby small hill was added Walbach Tower, a martello built in 1814.
During the Civil War, Fort Constitution was again rebuilt as a three-tier granite fortress. But advances in weaponry, particularly armored, steam-powered warships with heavy guns, rendered the masonry design obsolete before it was finished. Like several others of the period, it was left incomplete. In 1897, construction began on Battery Farnsworth, located under the hill on which Walbach Tower stands. Named for Brigadier General Elon J. Farnsworth, the installation included two 8-inch breech-loading rifles on disappearing carriages. Given back to the state in 1961, Fort Constitution State Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and is today open to the public.