Fort Holmes is a fortified earthen redoubt located on the highest point of

Mackinac Island Mackinac Island ( ; french: Île Mackinac; oj, Mishimikinaak ᒥᔑᒥᑭᓈᒃ; otw, Michilimackinac) is an island and resort area, covering in land area, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The name of the island in Odawa is Michilimackinac an ...

. Originally built in 1814 by British forces during the War of 1812, the redoubt was improved by that army throughout the course of the war (1812–1814) to help defend the adjacent Fort Mackinac from a possible attack by the U.S. Army. The British named the redoubt ''Fort George'' and reinforced it with cannon, a

blockhouse A blockhouse is a small fortification, usually consisting of one or more rooms with loopholes, allowing its defenders to fire in various directions. It is usually an isolated fort in the form of a single building, serving as a defensive stro ...

, and a magazine for gunpowder and other munitions. However, Fort Holmes never functioned as an independent military fortification. It was always a dependent outpost of nearby Fort Mackinac. When United States armed forces reoccupied Mackinac Island in 1815 under the terms of the Treaty of Ghent, they took possession of Fort George. They surveyed and measured their prize, which they renamed Fort Holmes in honor of Major Andrew Holmes, a casualty in the 1814 Battle of Mackinac Island. However, the American army soon abandoned Fort Holmes. The earthworks and buildings of the former redoubt slowly eroded and disappeared over the course of more than a century. In 1936, as part of its mission to provide employment through public works projects during the nationwide

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, the Works Progress Administration used the original 1817 American survey to rebuild Fort Holmes to its War of 1812 appearance. , however, most of the reconstructed buildings of Fort Holmes had again disappeared, except for the redoubt's earthen walls. In 2015 the Mackinac Island State Park completed a second reconstruction of Fort Holmes that resumes the appearance that the redoubt had in 1817. The blockhouse includes interpretive panels inside, and is open in the summer. Many visitors come to the fort site for a view of the

Straits of Mackinac The Straits of Mackinac ( ; french: Détroit de Mackinac) are the short waterways between the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas, traversed by the Mackinac Bridge. The main strait is wide with a maximum depth of , and connects ...

, much of which is visible from this lookout point approximately above the surface of

Lake Huron Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrology, Hydrologically, it comprises the easterly portion of Lake Michigan–Huron, having the same surface elevation as Lake Michigan, to which it is connected by the , Strait ...

and 890 feet (271 m) above sea level. The redoubt and blockhouse can be rented for special occasions.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fort Holmes Works Progress Administration in Michigan Michigan State Historic Sites Mackinac Island State Park Buildings and structures in Mackinac County, Michigan Holmes Holmes Michigan in the War of 1812 1812 establishments in the United States Historic district contributing properties in Michigan Holmes National Register of Historic Places in Mackinac County, Michigan

See also

References