Introduction
Welcome to the “Fort Independence History” page. We’re excited to share the fascinating past of this legendary site with you. Castle Island has a history that spans over 350 years, with eight different forts calling it home, each one playing a key role in our military history. The island formed from glacial deposits. These include sand, gravel, boulders, and clay. Glaciers left them behind tens of thousands of years ago. Over time, it became a vital military stronghold. We hope you enjoy learning more about its remarkable history.
The General Court of the Colony of Massachusetts played a key role in our early defenses by building the first four forts in 1634, 1644, 1653, and 1673.
In 1700, Wolfgang William Romer, the Chief Engineer of British forces, built a fifth fort, naming it Castle William, and adding to it weaponry and fortification.
During the Revolutionary War in 1776, George Washington appointed Richard Gridley as Chief Engineer and Paul Revere as Commander to strengthen the fort’s defenses, demonstrating strong leadership at a critical time.
In 1809, Jean Foncin, a skilled military engineer, designed a new five-sided fort, which further improved our defenses.
In 1951, Colonel Thayer of the Army Corps of Engineers completed the eighth fort, showing our continued commitment to defending our land.
Stragetic Importance of the Location
The 1775 chart of Boston Harbor above illustrates why Castle Island was a critical military asset in this location. The chart shows a BLACK LINE indicating the main shipping channel that goes in and out of Boston Neck. All ships entering Boston had to pass close to the fort, putting them within range of its cannons. This positioning allowed for military control and taxation of passing vessels.
The Evolution of Castle Island’s Fortification
The First Fort, called “The Castle”, was built in 1634
The first fort was built at this site in 1634 when Governor John Winthrop ordered the construction of a fort on Castle Island to defend Boston’s harbor. Deputy Governor Roger Ludlow and Captain John Mason of Dorchester planned and supervised the construction. They created a basic “castle with mud walls” made of oyster shell lime, where three cannons were placed to protect Boston from sea attacks. This first fortification was named “The Castle” and was commanded by Captain Nicholas Simpkins.
The garrison included the captain, the gunner, and several soldiers. In 1634, three men joined for a year, each earning 10 pounds. By 1641, the Court approved the captain’s request to hire a gunner and his team. They received 150 bushels of Indian corn each year.
The Second Fort, called “The Castle”, was built in 1644
The first fort soon fell into disrepair and was rebuilt in 1644 after a scare from the arrival of a French warship in the harbor. The French came seeking help against other Frenchmen in a dispute over trading rights in Nova Scotia. Since the fort did not salute the visiting ship, the Massachusetts Militia authorities decided to upgrade it. The fort was reconstructed using pine logs, stone, and earth, featuring ten-foot walls around a 50-foot square compound. It mounted six saker cannons and three smaller guns. The saker guns, which were top-of-the-line cannons at the time, had a range of over a mile and could fire five to six-pound balls.
The Third Fort, called “The Castle”, was built in 1653
Pine logs upgraded the outer walls of The Castle. Commander Richard Davenport died in 1665 after lightning struck him at the Fort. Captain Roger Clap served as commander from 1665 to 1686.
The Fourth Fort, called “The Castle”, was built in 1673
The Fort was rebuilt with strong stone after an accidental fire. It now has 38 guns and 16 culverins in four bastions, plus six guns in a water battery. The culverins can hit targets up to 1,800 feet away. Generals value demi-culverins for their range, accuracy, and effectiveness.
In 1689, after King James II was ousted, British Governor Edmund Andros of Massachusetts fled to Castle Island. His goal was to strengthen the king’s power in New England. One of his objectives was to enforce the Navigation Act, which prevented foreign ships from docking in England and limited what the colonies could export outside of England. While he aimed to simplify processes, it ended up creating issues for the colonies.
The Fifth Fort, called “Castle William”, was built in 1701
In 1701, Wolfgang William Romer, the Chief Engineer of British forces in the American colonies, designed a new fort. He increased its armament to over 100 guns. He also added a complex system of outer defenses, requiring the enemy to cross three sets of fortifications to enter the Fort: the waterfront, the secondary, and the Fort itself. A new lookout tower was added at the northeast corner of the Fort to survey the outer harbor. The Fort was named Castle William after King William II of England.
In 1740, a fifth bastion was added, mounting 20 42-pounders.
Siege of the Boston
During the Stamp Act and the Boston Massacre, local leaders and British troops used the Fort for protection. Some British soldiers and officials stayed on the island for as long as six years. After the Battle of Concord and Bunker Hill, the British found themselves trapped in Boston Neck. To control the area, they set up roadblocks on Boston Neck to keep rebels out of the town.
At the same time, local militias established their own roadblocks around Dorchester, which had mostly become farmland. This created problems for the British and the residents still living in Boston, as they could no longer get fresh food. George Washington had troops and muskets, but he needed cannons. This led to Henry Knox being sent to Fort Ticonderoga in upstate New York to bring back as many cannons as he could.
In March of 1776, George Washington’s Continental Army took an important step by positioning cannons from Fort Ticonderoga at Dorchester Heights. At the same time, the Continental troops provided protective fire from Cambridge to support their efforts against the British forces.
If you’re interested in learning more about the fascinating journey of the cannons to Boston, I highly recommend the book “Henry Knox’s Noble Train.” It tells the inspiring story of Henry Knox as he leads an expedition over 260 miles through lakes and rivers in the winter. The book is readily available at libraries or online.
The next morning, British Commander General Howe planned to launch an attack on Dorchester Heights using rowboats. However, a snowstorm forced him to turn back. Facing challenging conditions, Howe made the difficult decision to withdraw his 10,000 troops and 1,000 loyalists from Boston.
Howe burned down the Fort and destroyed most of its weapons and ammunition. This was part of his “gentleman agreed” evacuation with Washington.
The Sixth Fort, called “Fort Adams”, was built in 1776
General Washington chose Colonel Richard Gridley as the Chief Engineer to help rebuild the star-shaped Fort. Colonel Paul Revere took on the important role of commander for the forces stationed there. Named Fort Adams at first, the Fort received the name Fort Independence after President John Adams made the change in 1797.
State Prison 1785
In 1785, the Massachusetts General Court converted the Castle Island fortifications into a prison for hard labor inmates. The prisoners had various tasks. They repaired and reinforced the fortifications, made up to 500 nails a day, or picked oakum. Picking oakum involved the tedious work of tearing apart strands of old ropes. The pieces were then sold to shipyards to caulk the seams of ships. The prison closed in 1905 when the federal government deemed the fort necessary for defense purposes.
The Garrison was guarded by one captain, three other officers, eleven noncommissioned officers, a drummer, a fifer, and fifty gunner mates. A chaplain also lived on the island full time. Over its twenty-year lifespan, more than 300 repeat offenders were imprisoned there.
Marine Hospital 1799
The Boston Marine Hospital was founded in 1799. It was initially located on Castle Island. In 1804, the hospital moved to the Charlestown Navy Yard because of an increase in patient capacity. In 1949, it moved to Brighton. There, it became the Marine Public Health Center, now called the Brighton Marine Health Center.
This was the first federal health law. It authorized a tax that deducted twenty cents per month from the wages of seamen. This tax raised funds for physicians and supported the network of hospitals. The tax amounted to about 1% of the wages of maritime sailors. The life of a seaman was tough under any circumstances. When he became sick or injured, there was little help available. Often, he had no family or home to care for him during this time.
The Seventh Fort, called “Fort Independence”, was built in 1800
The fort was rebuilt and expanded by military engineer Jean Foncin in 1803. It was now described as “a regular pentagon, with bastions of masonry, mounting 42 heavy cannons, with two additional batteries for six guns.” The structure was made of brick.
During the War of 1812, the British Navy operated in Massachusetts Bay but chose not to enter Boston Harbor. This decision was mainly due to the strong defense provided by the forts in the area. Colonel John Beck served as the commandant of one of these forts during this crucial time.
Importance of Fort Independence
“Reflecting on the 350 years that Castle Island has stood, we can conclude that the seventh fort, the first Fort Independence, built between 1801 and 1836, was the most significant. There were times when perceived threats felt more pressing, such as during the French and Indian War, the pre-Revolutionary period, or the Civil War, when more personnel were stationed on the island. However, none compared to the actual danger during the War of 1812. At that time, the British controlled Massachusetts Bay and attacked and occupied towns at will.
The fact that Boston was not attacked was due to Fort Independence and the prevailing naval belief that sailing vessels with the armament of the day could not successfully subdue land fortifications. This theory was proven by the unsuccessful British attack on Fort McHenry at Baltimore. The mere presence of Fort Independence was enough to defend the town.”
Taken from Book Castle Island and Fort Independence by William J. Reid
The Eight Fort, called “Fort Independence”, was built in 1833
Work began in 1833 on the final renovation of the fort, with work continuing until 1851. Colonel Sylvanus Thayer supervised this work and continued with Charles H. Bigelow and Edward H. Courtenay. To see more details about Colonel Thayer’s illustrious military career. The fort was made of granite from Rockport, MA, with walls 30′ high and 5.5′ thick.
For far information on the present day you look at https://fortindependence.org/present-day-structure/ on this webpage.
Connecting Castle Island to Mainland
In 1890, Boston started transforming the marshes around Castle Island by filling them in. This expansion continued south to the Fort Point Channel, and the landfill efforts were completed in the 1920s. Today, visitors can enjoy a beautiful 2.5-mile walk along the Head Island Causeway, which provides stunning views as it circles Pleasure Bay.
Sullivans on Castle Island opened in 1951.
Resources used for this Article:
Castle Island and Fort Independence book by William Reid.
This book can be found at the Boston Public Library or purchased on online on amazon.com
https://collections.countway.harvard.edu/onview/exhibits/show/1812/1812a
https://www.masshist.org/object-of-the-month/objects/fort-independence-2005-06-01
https://www.legendsofamerica.com/fort-independence-massachusetts/