1930 Picture of the Front Entrance

Fort Entrance

On this web page, you will tour inside the Fort Grounds as present-day tours are held. Of course, it is always better to see the tour in person!

The Entrance to the Fort has two heavy doors and a sliding metal gate that were used to trap invading soldiers. On both sides of the entrance, inside this trap, the original builder made cuts in granite so soldiers could fire their guns at anyone trapped inside these now-locked doors.

The Current Entrance

Upon entering the main entrance and turning left, you will enter the first door into the Fort. This area is used as a living quarters for some officers and their families. This upgraded work done during some of the Phase 2 renovations in 1976 can be seen below. The second room is a Model Room with great donated models and pictures given to the Castle Island Association.

Officer Meeting Room
Model Room

Parade Grounds

When the Fort was originally built, water wells were dug 94 feet below ground to provide “clear drinking water” on the Island.

tour on Parade Grounds
tour on Parade Grounds

Bakery

During Phase 2 of the renovations in the 1970s, the bakery was restored to replicate its original conditions. The image above shows the existing and new brickwork, the original brick floor, a firebox, an ash door, and a vent damper to control oven temperature. The original floor has been chipped away by the moving of wood and ash over the years.

The bakery is where “bread of the best quality” was baked daily for over 500 men during the Civil War. The regular mess used goods from local gardens on the Island, and through purchases from the “market boats,” civilian crafts were allowed to use the pier to sell supplies to the garrison. In 1862, a U.S. Army private by the name of Ira S. Pettit wrote in his diary, “The young recruit speaks very highly of the bread baked at the Fort, but laments there was ‘no cake or pie.'” There were cows on the Island, but privates did not rank high enough to get milk from the cows for their coffee.

Taken from Castle Island and Fort Independence a book by William J. Reid

Bakery with Bread

Ramp

This ramp is the only way wheeled vehicles can access the ramparts. Along the ramp are flags of various colonial militia units and those bearing a particular significance to the Fort.

Ramp with Flags

Front IV

looking over Pleasure Bay
View over Pleasure Bay all way south to Blue Hills

On the inner wall, the story of the American flag is represented by the accession of flags from the early American flag to the transformation to our current 50-star flag.

Front V

A view of the Park walkway towards Spectacle Island
A view of the Park walkway towards Spectacle Island

This front shows the flags of the six branches of the U.S. military: Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, and the new U.S. Space Force. After the Armed Forces flags, a collection of individual flags of the 50 states is presented in the order in which they joined the Union.

US Military Flags

Pictured below is an 8-inch Civil War siege gun with a range of 1,200 yards situated in the center of this front. Approximately 50% of the fired shells would land within a 50-yard radius of the target.

Siege Gun on Front V

Bastion A

Rodman Gun Facing Thompson

This positioning of the guns gave the troops a sweeping view of the Inner Harbor Entrance to prevent any ships from entering it. Both guns had a perfect line of sight of any vessel coming straight down the main ship channel, and the cannon on the right side could also prevent ships from coming up between Spectacle Island and Thompson Island by sneaking around Long Island.

A HUGE Container ship is going by the Fort.

Up at the gun’s muzzle, you have a sweeping panoramic view from south to east: University of Massachusetts Boston, John F Kennedy Library, Blue Hills, Squantum, Thompson Island, the northern edge of Moon Island, and Spectacle Island.

Walkway

Flags on East walkway
Flags on East walkway

After leaving this first bastion (Bastion A), we head north along the iron walkway that overhangs the inner wall, considering that the soldiers had no such steel walkway or rail to prevent them from falling. This walkway was part of Phase 1 renovation in the 1970s, allowing tours to go through this area.

Here is where the presentation of the 50 state flags finally ends. Hawaii and Alaska were the last states to join the Union in 1959. We now start with the flags of some of this country’s territories. You can look at the NPS for more details for all 50 states and territories.

Bastion B

This great look going down the Main Channel to inner Boston harbor

McKay Monument

View of McKay Statue, Logan Airport, and Harbor
flags outside of Bastition B
flags outside of Bastition B

Importance for Fort Independence During the Civil War

To see images going back to 1940, check out the Archive Gallery,

Resources used for this Article:

Castle Island and Fort Independence book by William Reid

This book can be borrowed at the Boston Public Library or purchased through the Castle Island Association

https://www.masshist.org/object-of-the-month/objects/fort-independence-2005-06-01

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