Fort Knox (Maine) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page is about the historic fort in Maine, United States. For the US Army post, see Fort Knox. For the census-designated place, see Fort Knox, Kentucky.

Quick facts for kids Significant dates

Fort Knox
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark

Fort Knox, Maine painting by Seth Eastman done between 1870 and 1875
Fort Knox Location in Maine
Location	Prospect, Maine
Area	124 acres (50 ha)
Built	1844
Architect	Colonel Joseph G. Totten, US Army Corps of Engineers
NRHP reference No.	69000023
Added to NRHP	October 1, 1969
Designated NHL	December 30, 1970

Fort Knox is a historic fort located in Prospect, Maine. It sits on the western bank of the Penobscot River, about 5 miles (8 km) from where the river meets the ocean. Today, it is known as Fort Knox State Park or Fort Knox State Historic Site.

This fort was built between 1844 and 1869. It was the first fort in Maine made entirely of strong granite. Before this, most forts were built using wood, earth, and stone. The fort is named after Major General Henry Knox. He was the first U.S. Secretary of War and a leader of artillery during the American Revolutionary War. He lived nearby in Thomaston later in his life.

Fort Knox is a great example of a mid-19th century granite fort built to protect the coast. Because it is so well-preserved, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. It was also named a National Historic Landmark in 1970. The fort is also where you can find the entrance to the observation tower of the Penobscot Narrows Bridge, which opened in 2007.

Why Fort Knox Was Built
- Protecting Maine's Coast
- A New Threat and a Stronger Fort
Building Fort Knox
Fort Knox During Wars
Fort Knox Today
Friends of Fort Knox
Fort Knox in Movies and TV
- Television Shows
Images for kids
See also

Why Fort Knox Was Built

Protecting Maine's Coast

People in Maine remembered tough times during past wars. They felt embarrassed by British attacks during the American Revolution and the War of 1812. This led to strong anti-British feelings in Eastern Maine.

During the American Revolution in 1779, a plan called the Penobscot Expedition tried to make the British leave Maine. But it went very wrong. The Americans lost 43 ships and about 500 soldiers. This was the worst naval defeat for the U.S. until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor much later.

Then, in 1814, during the War of 1812, British ships and soldiers sailed up the Penobscot River. They defeated American forces in the Battle of Hampden. After winning, the British looted the towns of Hampden and Bangor. This defeat made people in Maine want their own state. They felt Massachusetts, which Maine was part of, had not protected them. Maine became a state in 1820.

A New Threat and a Stronger Fort

In 1838-1839, another conflict called the Aroostook War happened. This war, though mostly peaceful, brought back fears of another British attack. The Penobscot River valley and Bangor were also very important for getting lumber to build ships.

Because of these worries, the U.S. decided to build a strong fort on the Penobscot River. This was part of a plan to build many forts along the coast. Fort Knox was designed to be a large, expensive granite fort at the river's mouth.

Building Fort Knox

Construction of Fort Knox began in 1844. It continued until 1869, when money for masonry (stone) forts ran out. The fort was mostly finished, but some parts on the roof, called the barbette level, were not completed.

Money from Congress for the fort was not always available. Even though about $1,000,000 was spent, the fort's full design was never completely built. The granite used for the fort came from a quarry about five miles (8 km) upriver, from Mount Waldo in Frankfort.

The main design for Fort Knox was created by Joseph G. Totten. He was a very important engineer for the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Other skilled engineers, like Isaac Ingalls Stevens and Thomas L. Casey, helped supervise the building.

Besides the main fort, which had 64 guns, Fort Knox also had two open batteries facing the river. Each of these had a special shot furnace. These furnaces could heat cannonballs until they were red-hot. The idea was that a hot cannonball could set wooden ships on fire. However, these furnaces became useless when ships started to be made of metal, called ironclad warships.

Fort Knox During Wars

The Civil War Years

Fort Knox never actually saw battle, but it was staffed by soldiers during wartime. During the American Civil War, volunteers from Maine were stationed at the fort. These were mostly new recruits who were training before being sent to active duty.

Thomas Lincoln Casey oversaw work at the fort during this time. He helped update the fort's gun positions to use the new Rodman cannon. He also supervised the fort's completion.

Spanish-American War Duty

A group of soldiers from Connecticut was stationed at Fort Knox during the Spanish–American War. A special marker at the fort explains that a controlled minefield was placed in the river during this war. Congress approved $3,200 for this minefield shortly after the war began.

After the Wars

After the Spanish-American War, only one person was left to care for the fort. This person was called the "Keeper of the Fort" or caretaker. They had the rank of ordnance sergeant. The keeper was in charge of keeping the fort in good condition and reporting to Fort Preble in South Portland. In 1900, a permanent "torpedo storehouse" was built at the fort to store naval mines (which were called torpedoes back then). This building is now the Visitor's Center.

In 1923, the U.S. government decided the fort was no longer needed. They put its 125 acres (51 ha) up for sale. The state of Maine bought it for $2,121. Since 1943, it has been managed as a Maine state historic site.

A group called the Civilian Conservation Corps (Co. 193 from Ellsworth) helped turn the fort into a place for tourists. In 1936, they built picnic areas, planted trees, and made roads. They also fixed drainage inside the fort, built fireplaces, and repaired stone walls and other parts of the fort.

Fort Knox Today

Today, Fort Knox is known as one of the best-preserved and easiest-to-visit forts in the United States. Almost all of the fort is open for people to explore.

You can see several old weapons at the fort. These include:

Two large 15-inch Rodman smoothbore cannons in the water batteries. One of these has been put back on its original mount.
An 8-inch Rodman converted rifle near the parking lot.
A 10-inch Rodman smoothbore cannon inside the fort.
Several 24-pounder flank howitzers. Some of these howitzers are on their original carriages, which have "Fort Monroe 1862" stamped on them.

The 15-inch Rodman guns are very rare to see remounted. They weigh 50,000 pounds (22,680 kg) and were the biggest weapons made in large numbers during the Civil War era.

Friends of Fort Knox

The Friends of Fort Knox is a non-profit group formed in the 1990s. This group has done a lot to help repair and improve the fort.

Some of their projects include:

Turning the old Torpedo Storage Shed into the Visitor and Education Center.
Restoring the Officer's Quarters.
Adding signs to explain the fort's history.
Repairing the powder magazine in Battery A.
Restoring and displaying four 24-pound flank defense howitzers.
Repairing and opening the enlisted men's quarters, cistern, and other rooms.
Doing a lot of masonry (stone) repair work.

In 2012, the Friends group made an agreement with the State Department of Conservation. They took over the daily running of the fort. The State still owns the fort. This agreement means the Friends are responsible for all maintenance of the grounds and buildings. They can also make improvements to the fort as long as they follow the law.

Since 2012, the Friends have been allowed to set the entrance fee for the fort. They need approval from the Bureau of Parks and Lands. The fees are kept affordable for Maine residents. The Friends keep 85 percent of the entrance fee money, and the rest goes to the State General Fund.

Fort Knox in Movies and TV

Television Shows

Fort Knox has been featured on TV shows about spooky places.

It was shown on the paranormal TV series Most Terrifying Places in America. This was in an episode called "Cursed Towns" that aired on the Travel Channel in 2018.
The Travel Channel's show Destination Fear also filmed at the fort. This was for the third episode of their third season in 2021.