Fort Pickering is a 17th-century historic fort site on Winter Island in

Salem, Massachusetts Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located on the North Shore (Massachusetts), North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem was one ...

. Fort Pickering operated as a strategic coastal defense and military barracks for Salem Harbor during a variety of periods, serving as a fortification from the Anglo-Dutch Wars through

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Construction of the original fort began in 1643 and it saw use as a military installation into the 20th century. Fort Miller (Fort Darby prior to the Civil War) in Marblehead also defended Salem's harbor from the 1630s through the American Civil War. Fort Pickering is a First System fortification named for Colonel

Timothy Pickering Timothy Pickering (July 17, 1745January 29, 1829) was the third United States Secretary of State, serving under Presidents George Washington and John Adams. He also represented Massachusetts in both houses of United States Congress, Congress as ...

, born in Salem, adjutant general of the Continental Army and

secretary of war The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...

in 1795.Roberts, pp. 407–408 Today, the remains of the fort are open to the public as part of the Winter Island Maritime Park, operated by the City of Salem.

17th century

Winter Island at the time of English settlement in the early 17th century was an island separated from the mainland, held as common land by the Proprietors and used as a fortification and for fishing activities. In 1643 Fort William was begun on the island.

18th century

Circa 1702, during

Queen Anne's War Queen Anne's War (1702–1713) or the Third Indian War was one in a series of French and Indian Wars fought in North America involving the colonial empires of Great Britain, France, and Spain; it took place during the reign of Anne, Queen of Gr ...

, Fort William was renamed Fort Anne (for then Queen Anne), and was rebuilt around 1706 under the direction of the

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...

, who were earlier sent by King William III to fortify the colonies. It is unclear how much was accomplished, as a debate on whether the town or the province should fund the rebuilding lasted past 1711, when the war ended for the American colonies. In 1735 the

Massachusetts General Court The Massachusetts General Court, formally the General Court of Massachusetts, is the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts located in the state capital of Boston. Th ...

provided 600 pounds to rebuild the fort to hold 15 guns. It was rebuilt again by the town and known as Fort Number Two in Patriot hands during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

. In 1794, the City of Salem ceded the fort to the federal government and a new fort was constructed in its place, part of the first system of U.S. fortifications. The 1794 U.S. Army report on fortifications called for the fort to have eight artillery pieces, 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 A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...

. The fort's garrison was proposed to consist of one officer and 22 enlisted men. Major repairs to the fort were conducted in 1796 and a restoration in 1799. Later in 1799 it was renamed Fort Pickering in honor of Timothy Pickering, then Secretary of State of the U.S. Sketch of Fort Pickering During War of 1812

Sketch of Fort Pickering During War of 1812

19th century

The fort was rebuilt in 1800 and 1808 to mount six guns as part of the second system of U.S. fortifications. In a report on the conditions of fortifications of the United States submitted to Congress by President Jefferson on January 6, 1809, the following is stated regarding Fort Pickering - "The fort and block house, ... with a magazine under it, have been repaired and a new barrack erected." Another report in December 1811 stated the fort was "an enclosed work of brick and sods, mounting six heavy guns, covered by a block house".

Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following: * a ...

commanders of the fort (combined with Fort Sewall in Marblehead) from 1800 to 1812 included Capt. Alexander D. Pope 1800–1802, a detachment of Capt. Nehemiah Freeman's company 1802–1803, no federal garrison 1804–1808, and Capt. Stephen Ranney 1809–1812.

Massachusetts militia This is a list of militia units of the Colony and later Commonwealth of Massachusetts. * Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts (1638) * Cogswell's Regiment of Militia (April 19, 1775) * Woodbridge's Regiment of Militia (April ...

camps on Winter Island in the 1850s and 1860s included Camp Sutton (1853, 1855), Camp Edmunds (1856), Camp Banks (1858), and Camp Gardner (1860s). Camp Sutton existed in 1853 and 1855. The camp was named for general William Sutton and was occupied by the 2nd Division. Camp Edmunds existed in 1856. The camp was named for Major General B.F. Edmunds and was occupied by the 4th Brigade. Camp Banks existed in 1858. The camp was named for Major General

Nathaniel P. Banks Nathaniel Prentice (or Prentiss) Banks (January 30, 1816 – September 1, 1894) was an American politician from Massachusetts and a Union Army, Union general during the American Civil War, Civil War. A millworker, Banks became prominent in local ...

and was occupied by the 2nd Division. The fort received another military restoration in 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 ...

. In 1820 it had a capacity of 11 guns.Manuel 2019, pp. 32–35 During the 19th century, the island was used primarily for fortification and in 1864 the City of Salem again ceded the island to the federal government in support of the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

efforts. Although the capacity remained at 11 guns, the area of the fort was increased, with earthwork

parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an upward extension of a wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/brea ...

s built outside the stone fort and gun

embrasure An embrasure (or crenel or crenelle; sometimes called gunhole in the domain of Age of Gunpowder, gunpowder-era architecture) is the opening in a battlement between two raised solid portions (merlons). Alternatively, an embrasure can be a sp ...

s added for improved protection. The

was also increased in size. To defend against land attack, the gorge at the rear of the fort was guarded by two curtain walls and a wet

moat A moat is a deep, broad ditch dug around a castle, fortification, building, or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. Moats can be dry or filled with water. In some places, moats evolved into more extensive water d ...

. The walls were part of a bombproof shelter with loopholes for small arms. Facilities outside the fort included a guard house, hospital/

commissary A commissary is a government official charged with oversight or an ecclesiastical official who exercises in special circumstances the jurisdiction of a bishop. In many countries, the term is used as an administrative or police title. It often c ...

, barracks/mess hall, stable, sink, and well. An armament report by Major Charles E. Blunt dated January 31, 1865 shows the fort had six 24-pounder

smoothbore A smoothbore weapon is one that has a barrel without rifling. Smoothbores range from handheld firearms to powerful tank guns and large artillery mortars. Some examples of smoothbore weapons are muskets, blunderbusses, and flintlock pistols. ...

guns A gun is a device that propels a projectile using pressure or explosive force. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns or cannons), or gas (e.g. light-gas gun). Solid projectiles may be ...

, three 32-pounder

rifles A rifle is a long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting and higher stopping power, with a barrel that has a helical or spiralling pattern of grooves ( rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus on accuracy, rifle ...

, and two 24-pounder rifles. It was also called Salem Barracks in that war. From May 1864 to June 1865 Fort Pickering was garrisoned successively by the 3rd and 17th Unattached Companies Massachusetts Volunteer Militia.Higginson, pp. 318, 323

20th century

Abandoned seaplane hangar Fort Pickering Salem MA P1000596

In 1935 most of the land on Winter Island became the newly established Coast Guard Air Station Salem. The air station had a hangar and ramp for

seaplane A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of takeoff, taking off and water landing, landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their tech ...

s. Aircraft from the station conducted anti-submarine patrols during

and search and rescue missions until it was closed in 1971. The site was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1973. In 1994, the National Register designated the entire collection of cultural resources at Winter Island and Fort Pickering as the Winter Island Historic District and Archaeological District. Portions of the Civil War fort remain.

References

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External links