Fort Barry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort Barry
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| Marin Headlands,California in United States | |
September 2012
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 Fort Barry
Fort Barry
Fort Barry
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| Coordinates | 37°49′41″N 122°31′30″W / 37.828°N 122.525°W |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | United States Army Coast Artillery Corps |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1898 |
| Fate | transferred to the National Park Service |
Fort Barry is an old United States Army base located in the Marin Headlands of California. It's just north of San Francisco. The fort opened in 1908. It was part of the Coast Artillery Corps, which means soldiers there protected the coast with big guns. Fort Barry was used for most of the 20th century. Later, it was closed and became part of the National Park Service.
Contents
Big Guns and Defenses
Fort Barry was built with many large guns to protect the San Francisco Bay. These guns were placed in special areas called "batteries."
Early Batteries
When the fort first opened, it had five main batteries:
- Battery Mendell: This was the first battery built, starting in 1901. It had two huge 12-inch guns. These guns were on special "disappearing carriages." This meant the guns would pop up to fire, then drop back down to hide from enemy ships. It was named after Colonel George Mendell.
- Battery Alexander: This battery had eight large 12-inch mortars. Mortars are like cannons that shoot shells high into the air, making them drop down on targets. It was named after Colonel Barton S. Alexander.
- Battery Edwin Guthrie: This battery had four six-inch rapid-fire guns. "Rapid-fire" means they could shoot quickly. These guns were on "barbette" carriages, which meant they were mounted on a platform. It was named after Captain Edwin Guthrie.
- Battery Samuel Rathbone: This battery also had four six-inch rapid-fire guns on barbette carriages. It was named after Lieutenant Samuel Rathbone.
- Battery Patrick O'Rorke: This battery had four smaller 3-inch guns. These were mounted on pedestals. It was named after Colonel Patrick O'Rorke.
Later Additions
Over the years, more defenses were added to Fort Barry:
- Battery Elmer J. Wallace: In 1917, two more 12-inch guns were added here. These guns could turn all the way around (360 degrees) to aim in any direction.
- Battery Construction No. 129: This battery was built in 1943 during World War II. It was meant to hold two very powerful 16-inch guns, but these guns were never actually put in place.
- Nike Missile Site SF-87: After the big guns, the area above Battery 129 became a control center for Nike Missiles. These were guided missiles used to shoot down enemy aircraft. The actual missile launchers were located nearby at Fort Cronkhite.
Balloon Hangar
Fort Barry has a special building called a balloon hangar. This hangar is very old and was part of an early experiment by the U.S. Army. They tried using large, tethered balloons to help defend the coast. These balloons would float in the sky and could spot enemy ships or aircraft.
The hangar was finished in 1921. A group called the 24th Balloon Company moved their balloon into it soon after. This building is important because it's one of the only hangars of its kind that actually held an army balloon. It shows a unique part of military history and how coastal defense and aviation developed.
Connecting Tunnel
A long tunnel, about half a mile (0.8 km) long, connected Fort Barry to another nearby base, Fort Baker. This tunnel allowed soldiers and supplies to move easily between the two forts. In 1937, the tunnel was made wider, becoming 20 feet across.
Fort Closure
Fort Barry stopped being an active U.S. Army base in 1974. After its closure, the land and buildings were given to the National Park Service. Today, it's part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and people can visit it.
