Fort Worden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort Worden Historical State Park |
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Historic buildings at Fort Worden
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 Fort Worden Historical State Park
Location in Washington (state)
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| Location | Port Townsend, Jefferson County, Washington, United States |
| Area | 432 acres (175 ha) |
| Established | 1971 |
| Operator | Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission |
| Website | Fort Worden Historical State Park |
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Fort Worden
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Alexander's Castle at Fort Worden
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| Location | Cherry and W Sts. Port Townsend, Washington |
| Architect | US Government War Dept. |
| NRHP reference No. | 74001954 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | March 15, 1974 |
| Designated NHLD | December 8, 1976 |
Fort Worden Historical State Park is a cool place in Port Townsend, Washington. It's built on 433 acres that used to be a big army base called Fort Worden. This fort was made to protect Puget Sound from attacks by sea. It was named after U.S. Navy Rear Admiral John Lorimer Worden, who was famous for commanding the ship USS Monitor during the American Civil War.
The fort was built between 1898 and 1920. It was one of the biggest forts of its kind and a rare example of a fort built on new land. It was even close enough to see a British Royal Navy base on Vancouver Island in Canada. In 1976, Fort Worden was recognized as a National Historic Landmark.
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History of Fort Worden
Fort Worden was an active United States Army base from 1902 to 1953. After the army left, the State of Washington bought it in 1957. It was first used as a center for young people. Then, in 1971, it became a state park, officially opening in 1973.
Why Fort Worden Was Built
In the 1890s, the area around Admiralty Inlet was super important for defending Puget Sound. Three forts were built right at the entrance: Fort Worden, Fort Flagler, and Fort Casey. Together, their powerful cannons created a "Triangle of Fire." This was meant to stop any enemy ships from getting through.
Fort Worden is located on the Quimper Peninsula, at the very tip of the Olympic Peninsula. It sits on a high bluff near Port Townsend. The main goal of these three forts was to keep enemy fleets from reaching important places like the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and cities like Seattle, Tacoma, and Everett.
Even though they were ready, the forts never had to fire their guns at an enemy. Many of the big guns were taken away during World War I to be used in Europe. Any guns left that were old-fashioned were scrapped during World War II. After that, Fort Worden was used for training soldiers and other defense activities.
Building the Fort
The oldest building at the fort is Alexander's Castle. It's a brick house built in 1883, even before the army arrived! It belonged to Reverend John Barrow Alexander. The government bought this building in 1897.
Building Fort Worden started in 1897 and continued in different ways until the base closed in 1953. The Army Corps of Engineers helped build the docks and warehouses. They even built a special tramway to carry concrete for the gun areas. All the cement came from Belgium, traveling all the way around Cape Horn by ship! It took 200 workers almost three years to dig and pour the concrete for the gun positions.
By March 1900, the fort was ready for its big guns. Sixteen cannons arrived from Ohio by barge. Another special tramway was built to pull these heavy guns up the bluff. In March 1901, the guns were in place and ready for testing.
Fort Worden officially opened in 1902. The first soldiers, 87 of them, arrived in May 1902. They lived in tents while their barracks were being built. By 1905, Fort Worden had four groups of soldiers and was fully ready. The fort had 41 cannons, including huge 12-inch and 10-inch guns, and 12-inch mortars.
Fort Worden During the Wars
During World War I, many more soldiers came to Fort Worden for training before going to Europe. New buildings were built to house them. Most of the fort's cannons were taken apart and sent to Europe. Many were never replaced. After World War I, fewer soldiers were stationed at the fort.
Over time, new warships and airplanes made fixed gun positions less useful. In the 1920s, a big hangar for observation balloons was built at Fort Worden.
During World War II, Fort Worden was still the main base for defending the harbor. Both the Army and Navy worked there. Soldiers operated radar sites and worked with Canadian and U.S. forces to protect the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound. The Navy used new underwater listening devices to track ships. Anti-aircraft guns were also installed.
After World War II, the army units at Fort Worden were closed down, and the remaining guns were removed. The fort stayed open for administrative tasks until June 30, 1953, when it officially closed.
After the Korean War started, an army reserve unit, the 369th Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment, was stationed at Fort Worden. They trained new engineers. This unit was closed in 1953.
On July 1, 1957, the State of Washington bought Fort Worden for $127,533. It was used as a center for young people who needed help.
Old Gun Batteries
Fort Worden had many different types of gun batteries, which are special concrete structures built to hold large cannons. These batteries were named after important military figures.
Some of the main batteries included:
- Battery Randol (1900–1918): Had two 10-inch guns.
- Battery Quarles (1900–1941): Had three 10-inch guns.
- Battery Ash (1900–1942): Had two 12-inch guns.
- Battery Benson (1907–1943): Had two 10-inch guns that could "disappear" into the ground after firing.
- Battery Kinzie (1910–1944): Had two 12-inch disappearing guns.
There were also smaller batteries with different types of guns, like 6-inch guns, 5-inch guns, and 3-inch guns.
The fort also had Mortar Batteries, which held large mortars. These were like giant cannons that fired shells high into the air.
- Battery Brannan (1901–1943): Had eight 12-inch mortars.
- Battery Powell (1901–1943): Also had eight 12-inch mortars.
Note: All the original cannons and mounts were removed in the 1940s, so you won't see any of the old guns there today.
Fort Worden State Park Today
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission took over most of Fort Worden on September 30, 1971. The 433-acre Fort Worden State Park opened on August 18, 1973. Today, people love to visit its 2.1 miles of sandy beaches and high bluffs. It's a great place for many different activities.
You can explore the large, old artillery batteries (but they close at dusk!). The state park also has the Puget Sound Coast Artillery Museum, where you can learn about the fort's history. There's also a balloon hangar that was used for observation balloons. You can even rent some of the old officers' houses for vacations! The Point Wilson Lighthouse is also located here.
The Commanding Officer's Quarters, one of the officers' houses, has been restored to look like it did in the early 1900s. You can take tours of it in the summer.
The park is also home to the Port Townsend School of Woodworking, where people learn fine woodworking skills. Copper Canyon Press, a publisher of poetry, has been located at Fort Worden since 1974.
The Port Townsend Marine Science Center is also at the park. It has a natural history museum and hands-on exhibits that teach about ocean life.
You might even recognize Fort Worden from movies! The 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman and the 2002 film The Ring were both filmed here.
Goddard College uses the former base hospital building at Fort Worden for some of its college programs.
One cool feature of the park is a huge underground cistern. It was built to hold 2,000,000 gallons of water for fighting fires if the fort was attacked. It was drained in the 1950s, leaving a giant underground room over 200 feet wide and 14 feet deep. This chamber has amazing acoustics, meaning sounds echo for a very long time (about 45 seconds!). Musicians used to love to record there.
However, since 2014, the cistern is sealed shut and you can't go inside.
Military Cemetery
There is a small military cemetery at the south side of the state park. It is maintained by the Public Works Directorate at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Images for kids
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Alanson Merwin Randol
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Joseph Penrose Ash
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Henry Benson
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Haldimand Putnam
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Samuel Hamilton Walker
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John Milton Brannan
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