
Fort Holmes is a fortified earthen
redoubt
A redoubt (historically redout) is a Fortification, fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on Earthworks (engineering), earthworks, although some are constructed of ston ...
located on the highest point of
Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island ( , ; ; ; ) 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 and "Mitchimakinak" in Ojibwemowin, meaning "Great Turtle". It is located in ...
. Originally built in 1814 by British forces during the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...
, the redoubt was improved by that army throughout the course of the war (1812–1814) to help defend the adjacent
Fort Mackinac
Fort Mackinac ( ) is a former British and American military outpost garrisoned from the late 18th century to the late 19th century in the city of Mackinac Island, Michigan, on Mackinac Island. The Kingdom of Great Britain, British built the f ...
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
Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, charcoal (which is mostly carbon), and potassium nitrate, potassium ni ...
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
The Treaty of Ghent () was the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the United States and the United Kingdom. It took effect in February 1815. Both sides signed it on December 24, 1814, in the city of Ghent, United Netherlands (now in ...
, 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
Public works are a broad category of infrastructure projects, financed and procured by a government body for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community. They include public buildings ( municipal buildings, ...
projects during the nationwide
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
, the
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA; from 1935 to 1939, then known as the Work Projects Administration from 1939 to 1943) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to car ...
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
Mackinac Island State Park is a state park located on Mackinac Island in the U.S. state of Michigan. A Lake Huron island, it is near the Straits of Mackinac. The island park encompasses , which is approximately 80% of the island's total area. ...
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 ( ; ) 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 the Great Lakes of Lake M ...
, 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. It is shared on the north and east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south and west by the U.S. state of Michigan. The name of the lake is derived from early French ex ...
and 890 feet (271 m) above
sea level
Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...
. The redoubt and blockhouse can be rented for special occasions.
See also
* Brian Leigh Dunnigan, Fort Holmes
eports in Mackinac History and Archeology: No. 10(Mackinac State Historic Parks, Mackinaw City, Mich.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fort Holmes
Works Progress Administration in Michigan
Michigan State Historic Sites in Mackinac County
Mackinac Island State Park
Buildings and structures in Mackinac County, Michigan
Holmes
Holmes may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Holmes (surname), a list of people and fictional characters
** Sherlock Holmes, a fictional detective
* Holmes (given name), a list of people
* Gordon Holmes, a penname used by Louis Trac ...
Holmes
Holmes may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Holmes (surname), a list of people and fictional characters
** Sherlock Holmes, a fictional detective
* Holmes (given name), a list of people
* Gordon Holmes, a penname used by Louis Trac ...
Michigan in the War of 1812
1812 establishments in the United States
Historic district contributing properties in Michigan
Holmes
Holmes may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Holmes (surname), a list of people and fictional characters
** Sherlock Holmes, a fictional detective
* Holmes (given name), a list of people
* Gordon Holmes, a penname used by Louis Trac ...
National Register of Historic Places in Mackinac County, Michigan