Fort Popham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort Popham |
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| Part of Coast Defenses of the Kennebec | |
| Phippsburg, Maine | |
| Type | Fortification |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Public - State of Maine |
| Controlled by | State of Maine |
| Open to the public |
partly |
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Fort Popham Memorial
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Fort Popham and the Kennebec River
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Phippsburg, Maine |
| Built | 1861 |
| Architect | US Army Corps of Engineers |
| NRHP reference No. | 69000012 |
| Added to NRHP | 1 October 1969 |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1857–1869 |
| Built by | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |
| In use | 1864–1865, 1898–1899, 1917–1918, 1941–1945 |
| Materials | Granite |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison |
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Fort Popham is an old fort built during the American Civil War. It was made to defend the coast at the mouth of the Kennebec River in Phippsburg, Maine. The fort is named after George Popham, who led an early English settlement nearby called the Popham Colony. You can still see the spot where that colony was.
Contents
Early Forts at Popham
Before Fort Popham, there was a small fort here during the American Revolution. Later, in 1808, the government built a small battery (a place for cannons) on this spot. This was part of a plan to protect the coast called the "Second System of fortifications."
Why These Forts Were Built
These forts were built after Thomas Jefferson created the Embargo Act of 1807. This law stopped all exports from the U.S. to try and pressure Britain and France. These countries had been attacking American ships. Some of these new forts were first used to make sure people followed the embargo.
The embargo was very unpopular in New England and hurt the economy a lot. It was ended in 1809, but problems with Britain eventually led to the War of 1812. People thought these forts were built more to enforce the embargo than to defend the country. They were sometimes called "embargo forts."
Fort Details and War of 1812
Reports from the Secretary of War in 1808 and 1811 mention this battery. It was known as the "Battery on Hunnewell's Point" or the "Georgetown Battery." At that time, Georgetown included Phippsburg.
In 1811, the battery was described as an enclosed area with six heavy cannons. It also had a small storage area for gunpowder and wooden barracks for 40 soldiers. The battery stayed active until 1815 and saw some small battles during the War of 1812. After the war, four of its cannons were moved to a new fort at Cox's Head, north of Fort Popham. This new fort was made of brick and could house 105 men.
Building and Using Fort Popham
Construction of Fort Popham was approved in 1857. It was part of the "Third System of fortifications," a new plan for coastal defense. However, building didn't start until 1861. The fort was made from large granite blocks. These blocks came from nearby Fox and Dix Islands.
Fort Design and Size
The fort had a 30-foot-high wall facing the Kennebec River. It was built in a crescent shape, about 500 feet around.
Civil War Garrison
During the last months of the American Civil War, from October 1864 to July 1865, soldiers were stationed at the fort. This group was the 7th Unassigned Company of Maine Infantry. Their leader was Captain Augustin Thompson, who later became famous for inventing Moxie soda.
Cannons and Completion
Fort Popham was supposed to have 42 heavy cannons. These included 10-inch and 15-inch Rodman guns. But building stopped in 1869, and only two of the three planned levels were finished.
In the late 1800s, Fort Popham had 36 Rodman guns. It also had some 300-pounder (10-inch) and smaller Parrott rifles. One of the Rodman guns was given to the town of Bowdoinham. It serves as a memorial to their soldiers who died in the Civil War and is still there today. A 100-pounder (6.4-inch) Parrott rifle is also near the fort grounds.
The back of Fort Popham had a low wall with a ditch (moat) around it. This wall had a main gate and 20 small openings for muskets.
Changes and Modernization
Experience from the war showed that forts made of stone were easily damaged by new, more powerful cannons. Because of this, construction at Fort Popham stopped in 1869 before it was finished.
The fort was used again after more work was done during the Spanish–American War and World War I. In the 1890s, Fort Popham got new equipment for a controlled minefield in the river. This was part of the "Endicott program" to improve coastal defenses.
In 1898, when the Spanish–American War began, Congress quickly approved money for defenses. This included $3,200 to place mines in the Kennebec River. In 1899, after the war, a single 8-inch M1888 gun was placed near the fort. It joined four 15-inch Rodman guns and the 100-pounder Parrott rifle. The 8-inch gun was removed in 1910. This was a quick way to add modern guns where they were needed until the Endicott program forts could be built.
Fort Baldwin and Later Use
Under the Endicott program, Fort Baldwin began to be built in 1905. It was on the headland above Fort Popham and had longer-range guns. This eventually made Fort Popham less important for defense. However, Fort Popham remained important because of its minefield facilities.
Fort Popham was likely part of the Coast Defenses of the Kennebec command at one point. But this command was later combined with the Coast Defenses of Portland before 1917.
During World War I, about 200 soldiers from the 13th and 29th Coast Artillery companies were stationed at Forts Popham and Baldwin. Even though Fort Baldwin's guns were removed in 1924, the mine facilities at Fort Popham might have been used through World War II. During World War II, Fort Baldwin was rearmed with cannons that could be moved.
Fort Popham Today
Today, Fort Popham is a historic site open to the public. It is called Fort Popham State Historic Site. It is located two miles (3 km) from the popular Popham Beach State Park. The fort was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Fort Popham Memorial on October 1, 1969. Its reference number is 69000012.
Images for kids
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The fort's setting
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Entrance
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Interior
