This article is about the fort in Gloucester, Massachusetts. For other forts of the same name, see Fort Defiance.
Fort Defiance was a fort that existed from 1794 to after 1865 on Fort Point in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The location protecting the inner harbor was also called Watch House Point.[1]
Prior to the establishment of Fort Defiance, the British Fort Anne was located on Watch House Point, built in 1703 for Queen Anne's War and rebuilt in 1743 for King George's War, the latter work possibly named Fort Libby.[1][2] A fortified breastwork was erected on the site during the American Revolutionary War.[2] In 1794 a fort at Gloucester was funded as part of the federal first system of U.S. fortifications. The selectmen of Gloucester requested that Fort Anne be rebuilt as the new fort. The fort was built at the direction of Stephen Rochefontaine, a former French military engineer and Revolutionary War veteran working in the United States as a civilian; the next year he was commissioned a lieutenant colonel and commander of the Corps of Artillerists and Engineers.[3][4] Assisting him was Major John Lillie, a former artillery officer with the Continental Army and possibly the fort's namesake.[5][6] The goal was to mount eight seacoast guns with a separate citadel, but as no federal funds were appropriated after 1795, it is not clear how much was accomplished.[3] It was popularly called Fort Lillie until 1814 but never assigned an official name except Fort at Gloucester by the US Army.[7]
19th century
The fort was probably upgraded in 1807 under the second system of U.S. fortifications, as it appears in the secretary of war's fortifications report dated December 1808. It is briefly mentioned as "the old fort of stone, in front of this place... has been repaired".[8] The report for December 1811 states "At the head of the harbor, an enclosed battery, mounting seven guns, covered by a blockhouse".[9] In 1814, during the War of 1812, the fort was renamed Fort Defiance. The fort went into caretaker status after that war,[2] but the caretaker was later removed.[7] The fort was burned by vandals in 1833,[2] and rebuilt in 1851.[1]Watch House Point, an 1860 painting of the fort by Fitz Henry Lane, shows the fort with stone-faced walls topped by earth. It was garrisoned during the Civil War and possibly rearmed.[7][10] Abandoned after that war, the land remained a federal reservation into the 1920s; it is unclear when the fort was demolished. Currently, nothing remains of the fort.[1]
^Lesch, Scott B., Big guns over Gloucester in the Civil War (blog)
Bibliography
Heitman, Francis B. (1914). Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army, April 1775 to December 1783. Washington, DC: The Rare Book Shop Publishing Co.
Manuel, Dale A. (Summer 2019). "Massachusetts North Shore Civil War Forts". Coast Defense Journal. Vol. 33, no. 3. Mclean, Virginia: CDSG Press.
Pierce, Edward Lillie (1896). Major John Lillie and the Lillie family of Boston, 1663–1896, rev. ed. Cambridge, Mass.: John Wilson and Son, University Press.
Roberts, Robert B. (1988). Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States. New York: Macmillan. ISBN0-02-926880-X.
Wade, Arthur P. (2011). Artillerists and Engineers: The Beginnings of American Seacoast Fortifications, 1794–1815. CDSG Press. ISBN978-0-9748167-2-2.
August 20, 2023
fort, defiance, massachusetts, this, article, about, fort, gloucester, massachusetts, other, forts, same, name, fort, defiance, fort, defiance, fort, that, existed, from, 1794, after, 1865, fort, point, gloucester, massachusetts, location, protecting, inner, h. This article is about the fort in Gloucester Massachusetts For other forts of the same name see Fort Defiance Fort Defiance was a fort that existed from 1794 to after 1865 on Fort Point in Gloucester Massachusetts The location protecting the inner harbor was also called Watch House Point 1 Fort Defiance Fort Lillie Fort at GloucesterFort Point Gloucester MassachusettsWatch House Point 1860 painting of Fort Defiance by Fitz Henry LaneFort Defiance Fort Lillie Fort at GloucesterLocation in MassachusettsShow map of MassachusettsFort Defiance Fort Lillie Fort at GloucesterFort Defiance Fort Lillie Fort at Gloucester the United States Show map of the United StatesCoordinates42 36 31 32 N 70 39 50 49 W 42 6087000 N 70 6640250 W 42 6087000 70 6640250TypeCoastal defenseSite informationConditiondemolishedSite historyBuilt1794Built byStephen Rochefontaine and John LillieIn usecirca 1794 1865Materialsmasonry earthworksDemolishedafter 1865Battles warsWar of 1812 American Civil WarThe Old Fort and Ten Pound Island 1850s painting of Fort Defiance by Fitz Henry Lane Contents 1 History 1 1 18th century 1 2 19th century 2 See also 3 References 4 BibliographyHistory Edit18th century Edit Prior to the establishment of Fort Defiance the British Fort Anne was located on Watch House Point built in 1703 for Queen Anne s War and rebuilt in 1743 for King George s War the latter work possibly named Fort Libby 1 2 A fortified breastwork was erected on the site during the American Revolutionary War 2 In 1794 a fort at Gloucester was funded as part of the federal first system of U S fortifications The selectmen of Gloucester requested that Fort Anne be rebuilt as the new fort The fort was built at the direction of Stephen Rochefontaine a former French military engineer and Revolutionary War veteran working in the United States as a civilian the next year he was commissioned a lieutenant colonel and commander of the Corps of Artillerists and Engineers 3 4 Assisting him was Major John Lillie a former artillery officer with the Continental Army and possibly the fort s namesake 5 6 The goal was to mount eight seacoast guns with a separate citadel but as no federal funds were appropriated after 1795 it is not clear how much was accomplished 3 It was popularly called Fort Lillie until 1814 but never assigned an official name except Fort at Gloucester by the US Army 7 19th century Edit The fort was probably upgraded in 1807 under the second system of U S fortifications as it appears in the secretary of war s fortifications report dated December 1808 It is briefly mentioned as the old fort of stone in front of this place has been repaired 8 The report for December 1811 states At the head of the harbor an enclosed battery mounting seven guns covered by a blockhouse 9 In 1814 during the War of 1812 the fort was renamed Fort Defiance The fort went into caretaker status after that war 2 but the caretaker was later removed 7 The fort was burned by vandals in 1833 2 and rebuilt in 1851 1 Watch House Point an 1860 painting of the fort by Fitz Henry Lane shows the fort with stone faced walls topped by earth It was garrisoned during the Civil War and possibly rearmed 7 10 Abandoned after that war the land remained a federal reservation into the 1920s it is unclear when the fort was demolished Currently nothing remains of the fort 1 See also EditStage Fort Eastern Point Fort Seacoast defense in the United States List of coastal fortifications of the United States List of military installations in MassachusettsReferences Edit a b c d Massachusetts Fort Defiance American Forts Network Retrieved 12 June 2020 a b c d Roberts p 400 a b Wade pp 15 16 Wade p 221 Heitman p 350 Pierce p 23 a b c Fort at Gloucester at FortWiki com Wade p 235 Wade p 242 Lesch Scott B Big guns over Gloucester in the Civil War blog Bibliography EditHeitman Francis B 1914 Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army April 1775 to December 1783 Washington DC The Rare Book Shop Publishing Co Manuel Dale A Summer 2019 Massachusetts North Shore Civil War Forts Coast Defense Journal Vol 33 no 3 Mclean Virginia CDSG Press Pierce Edward Lillie 1896 Major John Lillie and the Lillie family of Boston 1663 1896 rev ed Cambridge Mass John Wilson and Son University Press Roberts Robert B 1988 Encyclopedia of Historic Forts The Military Pioneer and Trading Posts of the United States New York Macmillan ISBN 0 02 926880 X Wade Arthur P 2011 Artillerists and Engineers The Beginnings of American Seacoast Fortifications 1794 1815 CDSG Press ISBN 978 0 9748167 2 2 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Fort Defiance Massachusetts amp oldid 999066094, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
