Fort Worden Historical State Park is located in
Port Townsend, Washington
Port Townsend is a city on the Quimper Peninsula in Jefferson County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,148 at the 2020 United States Census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County.
In addition ...
, on originally known as Fort Worden, a
United States Army Coast Artillery Corps base constructed to protect
Puget Sound
Puget Sound ( ; ) is a complex estuary, estuarine system of interconnected Marine habitat, marine waterways and basins located on the northwest coast of the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As a part of the Salish Sea, the sound ...
from invasion by sea.
Fort Worden was named after
U.S. Navy Rear Admiral
John Lorimer Worden, commander of during the famous
Battle of Hampton Roads
The Battle of Hampton Roads, also referred to as the Battle of the ''Monitor'' and ''Merrimack'' or the Battle of Ironclads, was a naval battle during the American Civil War.
The battle was fought over two days, March 8 and 9, 1862, in Hampton ...
during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
.
[
Constructed between 1898 and 1920, Fort Worden was one of the largest Endicott Period (1890-1910) forts to be built and a rare example of a post built according to the precepts of the Endicott Board on land not already occupied by an existing fortification. It was located within sight of a potential (if unlikely) enemy fortification, a British Royal Navy installation on ]Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest ...
in Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
. The fort was designated a National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
in 1976.
History
Fort Worden was an active United States Army base from 1902 to 1953. Most of it was purchased by the Port of Port Townsend in 1956 and sold to the State of Washington in 1957 to house a juvenile detention facility (the Port retained ownership of the beach from the entrance of the Fort to approximately the pier). In 1971, use was transferred to the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission and Fort Worden State Park was opened in 1973.[
]
Strategic location
In the 1890s, Admiralty Inlet was considered strategic to the defense of Puget Sound in that three forts—Fort Worden, Fort Flagler, and Fort Casey—were built at the entrance with their powerful artillery creating a "Triangle of Fire" to thwart any invasion attempt by sea. Fort Worden, on the Quimper Peninsula, at the extreme northeastern tip of the Olympic Peninsula, sits on a bluff near Port Townsend, anchoring the northwest side of the triangle. The three posts were designed to prevent a hostile fleet from reaching such targets as the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, officially Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF), is a United States Navy shipyard covering 179 acres (0.7 km2) on Puget Sound at Bremerton, Washington in uninterrupted ...
and the cities of Seattle
Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
, Tacoma and Everett.
The forts never fired a hostile shot, and many of the guns were removed during World War I for use in Europe; all remaining now-obsolete guns were scrapped during World War II. Subsequently, Fort Worden was used for training a variety of military personnel and for other defense purposes.
Construction
The oldest building on the post is Alexander's Castle, a brick residence built in 1883 by Reverend John Barrow Alexander (1850-1930) which pre-dates the military presence. A British citizen, Alexander was the rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Port Townsend from 1882 to 1886, as well as Queen Victoria's British Vice Consul in Port Townsend and Tacoma from 1884 to 1897. The building was acquired by the government in 1897.
The construction of Fort Worden began in 1897, continuing in one form or another until the base was closed in 1953.
Designed as part of the massive modernization program of U.S. seacoast fortifications initiated by the Endicott Board, construction work on the initial fortifications above Point Wilson were delayed until July 1897. The property was privately owned and the government had to clear title to the land through condemnation proceedings. The Army Corps of Engineers took charge of building the construction dock, warehouses, and a tramway to haul concrete
Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...
for the gun emplacements from the dock to the mixing plant. All cement for the batteries was imported from Belgium, shipped around Cape Horn
Cape Horn (, ) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which is Águila Islet), Cape Horn marks the nor ...
and unloaded at Point Wilson. To meet construction needs, the Army laid a pipeline from Port Townsend and pumped water into large storage tanks inside the fort. The arrival of wet winter weather slowed progress on the batteries. It took 200 men almost three years to complete the excavation and concrete work for the gun emplacements.
In March 1900, the fortifications were ready for installation of the initial armaments. Sixteen artillery pieces, shipped from the armory at Columbus, Ohio, arrived from Tacoma by barge. A special tramway was constructed to haul the heavy artillery pieces from the dock area to top of the bluff. In March 1901, the guns were moved to their assigned positions and mounted in the batteries, ready for test firing.
Fort Worden was activated in 1902. The 126th Coast Artillery Company, consisting of 87 soldiers commanded by Captain Manus McCloskey, was the first detachment assigned to Fort Worden. They arrived from Seattle on board the steamer SS ''Majestic'' on May 3, 1902, and were quartered in tents pending the completion of the company barracks. Twenty-three permanent buildings were under construction at a cost of $59,450. A communication system, connecting the three forts by armored cable, was installed in 1903.
Military use
On September 4, 1904, the headquarters
Headquarters (often referred to as HQ) notes the location where most or all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. The term is used in a wide variety of situations, including private sector corporations, non-profits, mil ...
of the Harbor Defense Command of Puget Sound was transferred from Fort Flagler to Fort Worden along with the 6th Artillery Band. Once work on the main batteries and army post had been completed, more troops were assigned there. By the fall of 1905, Fort Worden was fully staffed with four Coast Artillery companies, and the harbor defense system, costing approximately $7.5 million, was considered complete and operational. The initial armaments
A weapon, arm, or armament is any implement or device that is used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime (e.g., murder), law ...
consisted of six gun emplacements: Batteries Randol, Quarles, Ash, Powell, Brannon, and Vicars. Between 1905 and 1910, six additional gun emplacements were added: Batteries Benson, Tolles, Walker, Stoddard, Putnam, and Kinzie. When completed, Fort Worden had 41 artillery pieces, completing its point in the "Triangle of Fire": two 12-inch disappearing guns, two 12-inch barbette
Barbettes are several types of gun emplacement in terrestrial fortifications or on naval ships.
In recent naval usage, a barbette is a protective circular armour support for a heavy gun turret. This evolved from earlier forms of gun protection ...
guns, two 10-inch disappearing guns, five 10-inch barbette guns, eight 6-inch disappearing guns, two 5-inch balanced pillar guns, four 3-inch pedestal guns, and sixteen 12-inch mortars.
During World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, the complement at Fort Worden was greatly expanded as soldiers arrived for training prior to being sent to European battlefields. To keep up with the demand, construction of new barracks and buildings continued throughout the war. 36 of 41 artillery pieces were dismantled and shipped to arsenals to be retrofitted for usage on European battlefields; many were never replaced. After World War I, the fort's staffing was reduced to 50 officers and 884 enlisted men.
In its intended role, Fort Worden was obsolete soon after construction: the rapid advance in warship and gunnery design, as well as the advent of aircraft, quickly made fixed artillery positions ineffective and greatly diminished the role of coastal artillery
Coastal artillery is the branch of the armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications.
From the Middle Ages until World War II, coastal artillery and naval artillery in the form of ...
in national defense. In the 1920s, an observation balloon hangar was built at Fort Worden at a cost of $85,000. During this time, some of the batteries were modernized to be made "bomb-proof."
During World War II, Fort Worden remained the headquarters of the Harbor Defense Command and it was jointly operated by the Army and Navy. The fort was home to the 14th Coast Artillery Regiment of the U.S. Army, the 248th Coast Artillery Regiment of the Washington National Guard, the 2nd Amphibious Engineers, and miscellaneous U.S. Navy personnel. The Army operated radar
Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...
sites and coordinated Canadian and U.S. defense activities in the Strait of Juan de Fuca
The Strait of Juan de Fuca (officially named Juan de Fuca Strait in Canada) is a body of water about long that is the Salish Sea's main outlet to the Pacific Ocean. The Canada–United States border, international boundary between Canada and the ...
and Puget Sound. The Navy, responsible for the detection and identification of all vessels entering and leaving Puget Sound, monitored new underwater sonar and sensing devices. Fixed anti-aircraft
Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface ( submarine-launched), and air-ba ...
positions were installed behind Battery Benson and south of the mortar batteries. Fort Worden personnel also manned batteries and fire control towers at the Cape George Military Reservation, southwest of Port Townsend on the Strait of Juan de Fuca at the entrance to Discovery Bay.
After World War II, the Coast Artillery units at Fort Worden were disbanded and the remaining guns were removed or scrapped. It remained active as an administrative unit until June 30, 1953, when the Harbor Defense Command was deactivated and the fort officially closed, ending fifty-one years of military jurisdiction.
Following World War II, the 2nd Engineer Special Brigade was stationed at Fort Worden. At the outset of the Korean War
The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
, the 2nd Engineer Special Brigade was among the first Army units ordered to Korea to reinforce the Far East Command. After the departure in the summer of 1950 of the 2nd Engineer Special Brigade for Korea, an Army Reserve unit, the 369th Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment (later re-designated the 369th Engineer Amphibious Support Regiment), was stationed at Fort Worden where the regiment trained engineer replacements. The 369th was a subordinate unit of the 409th Engineer Special Brigade. The regimental headquarters and the boat battalion were stationed at Fort Worden. The regiment's shore battalion was located at Fort Flagler. The 369th Engineer Amphibious Support Regiment was demobilized in 1953.
On July 1, 1957, the State of Washington purchased Fort Worden for $127,533 for use as a diagnostic and treatment center for troubled youths.
Batteries
Coastal artillery batteries located at Fort Worden were:[
Primary Batteries
*''Battery Randol'' (1900–1918), located on Artillery Hill. It contained two M1888MII 10-inch guns on barbette carriages. Named after Brevet Brigadier General Alanson Merwin Randol, veteran 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 ...
( 1st U.S. Artillery/ 2nd New York Volunteer Cavalry Regiment), who died in 1887.
*''Battery Quarles'' (1900–1941), located on Artillery Hill. It contained three M1888MI 10-inch guns on barbette carriages. Named after Captain Augustus Quarles, 15th U.S. Infantry, who died August 30, 1847, at the Battle of Churubusco.
**Two 10-inch guns and carriages from Battery Quarles were sent to Fort McNutt, McNutts Island, Nova Scotia during World War II, where they remain.
*''Battery Ash'' (1900–1942), located on Artillery Hill. Contained two M1888MII 12-inch guns on barbette carriages. Named after Brevet Lt. Col Joseph Penrose Ash, 5th U.S. Cavalry, who died May 8, 1864, at the Battle of Todd's Tavern.
** Batteries Randol, Quarles, and Ash were originally built as one continuous unnamed battery until 1904—now referred to as the main gun line.
*''Battery Benson'' (1907–1943), located on Artillery Hill. It contained two M1900 10-inch guns on disappearing carriages. Named after Captain Henry Benson, Battery M, 2nd U.S. Artillery, who died August 11, 1862, from wounds received in an engagement at Malvern Hill on August 5, 1862.
**During the 1950s, Battery Benson was equipped with a Nike Ajax missile early-warning radar
An early-warning radar is any radar system used primarily for the long-range detection of its targets, i.e., allowing defences to be alerted as ''early'' as possible before the intruder reaches its target, giving the air defences the maximum tim ...
array, installed on a cinder block pedestal which remains.
*''Battery Kinzie'' (1910–1944), located west of Point Wilson, built onto the west end of Battery Vicars, contained two M1895MI 12-inch guns on disappearing carriages. Named after Brigadier General David Hunter Kinzie, veteran 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 ...
(commander, Battery K, 5th U.S. Artillery at the Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...
), who died in 1904.
Secondary Batteries
*''Battery Tolles'' (1905–1943), located on Artillery Hill. Contained four M1903 6-inch guns on disappearing carriages. Named after Captain/Brevet Lt. Colonel Cornelius Williams Tolles, 13th U.S. Infantry, Chief Quartermaster to General Philip Sheridan, who died November 8, 1864, from wounds sustained October 11, 1864 when ambushed by Mosby's Rangers near Newtown, Virginia.
''** Battery Tolles B'' (1937–1946); replacement of guns in emplacements 3 and 4 (removed during World War I) with two M1900 6-inch guns, platform retrofitted for masked parapet carriages.
*''Battery Stoddard'' (1906–1917), located on bluff facing Admiralty Inlet. Contained four M1903 6-inch guns on disappearing carriages. Named after Major Amos Stoddard, 1st U.S. Artillery, who died May 11, 1813, from wounds received at the Siege of Fort Meigs.
*''Battery Vicars'' (1902–1917), located west of Point Wilson, attached to Battery Kinzie. Contained two M1897 5-inch guns on balanced pillar mounts. Named after 1st Lieutenant Thomas Allen Vicars, 27th U.S. Infantry Regiment, who died May 2, 1902, in the assault of Pandapatan Cotta at the Battle of Bayan during the Moro Rebellion of the Philippine–American War
The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...
.
**Both 5-inch guns were removed and sent to Europe during World War I; they were never returned to Fort Worden, but one tube currently exists as a monument in Chewsville, Maryland.
*''Battery Putnam'' (1907–1945), located on bluff facing Admiralty Inlet. Contained two M1903 3-inch guns on pedestal mounts. Named after Colonel Haldimand Sumner Putnam, 7th New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry, who died July 18, 1863, at the Second Battle of Fort Wagner
The Second Battle of Fort Wagner, also known as the Second Assault on Morris Island or the Battle of Fort Wagner, Morris Island, was fought on July 18, 1863, during the American Civil War. Union Army troops commanded by Brigadier general (Uni ...
.
*''Battery Walker'' (1907–1946), located on Artillery Hill. Contained two M1903 3-inch guns on pedestal mounts. Named after Captain Samuel Hamilton Walker, Texas Rangers, who died October 9, 1843, at the Battle of Huamantla.
* AMTB (Anti Motor Torpedo Boat) Battery Point Wilson (1943–1946), (2 fixed /2 towed 90 mm guns) of which one gun block is now in the surf.
Mortar Batteries
*''Battery Brannan'' (1901–1943), located on Artillery Hill. Contained eight M1890MI 12-inch mortars in two pit emplacements. Named after Brevet Major General John Milton Brannan, veteran of the Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...
and Civil War.
*''Battery Powell'' (1901–1943), located next to Battery Brannan. Contained eight M1890MI 12-inch mortars in two pit emplacements. Named after Major James Edwin Powell, 25th Missouri Volunteer Infantry, who died April 6, 1862, at the Battle of Shiloh.
**In 1918, half the mortars were removed from each battery; a total of two from each of the four emplacements.
''Note: All armaments were removed in the 1940s, no period weapons or mounts remain.''
File:Captain Alanson Merwin Randol, US Army.jpg, Alanson Merwin Randol
File:Captain Joseph Penrose Ash.jpg, Joseph Penrose Ash
File:Benson - CPT Henry - 2nd US Artillery Battery M - detail from LC-B811-434.jpg, Henry Benson
File:Haldimand Putnam.jpg, Haldimand Putnam
File:Hamilton-Captain-Samuel-Walker.jpg, Samuel Hamilton Walker
File:Portrait of Brig. Gen. John M. Brannan (Maj. Gen. from Jan. 23, 1865), officer of the Federal Army LOC cwpb.05050.tif, John Milton Brannan
State park
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission acquired most of Fort Worden on September 30, 1971, when the state closed the juvenile treatment center. The Fort Worden State Park was opened on August 18, 1973.[ Today the of sandy beaches and high bluffs attract residents from around the region to the multi-use recreation facility.
The extensive system of large, abandoned artillery batteries are available for exploration (closed at dusk). The state park includes the Puget Sound Coast Artillery Museum, a balloon hangar which was used for observation balloons, three 3-inch anti-aircraft gun emplacements (no guns remain), and several restored quarters on Officers'/NCO Row available for vacation rentals. The Point Wilson Lighthouse is also located here.
The Commanding Officer's Quarters on Officers' Row has been restored to reflect the early 20th century Victorian period, and is open in the summer for tours.
The park is the home of the Port Townsend School of Woodworking, a fine woodworking school founded by Jim Tolpin, John Marckworth, and Tim Lawson.
The independent publisher of poetry, Copper Canyon Press, located permanently at Fort Worden in 1974.
The park also is the home of the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, whose natural history museum, hands-on tidepool exhibits and educational programs promote understanding about coastal ecosystems.
The 1982 film '' An Officer and a Gentleman'' was shot at Fort Worden, as well as the 2002 film '' The Ring''.
Goddard College's Port Townsend campus hosts several of its program residencies at Fort Worden in the former base hospital building.
One notable feature of the park is the 2,000,000 gallon underground cistern, originally built to hold water for fire-fighting in the event that the fort was attacked and put to the torch. The cistern was drained in the 1950s when the fort was decommissioned, leaving an underground space more than 200 feet in diameter and 14 feet deep. This huge subterranean chamber has an acoustical ]reverberation
In acoustics, reverberation (commonly shortened to reverb) is a persistence of sound after it is produced. It is often created when a sound is reflection (physics), reflected on surfaces, causing multiple reflections that build up and then de ...
time of around 45 seconds, and once attracted the interest of various musicians and recording artists, among them Wayne Horvitz, Pauline Oliveros, and Stuart Dempster.
As of 2014, the cistern is sealed shut and closed to all public access indefinitely.
Military cemetery
A small military cemetery, maintained by the Public Works Directorate at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, is located at the south side of the state park.
See also
* 14th Coast Artillery (United States)
The 14th Coast Artillery Regiment was a Coast Artillery regiment in the United States Army. It served as the Regular Army (United States), Regular Army component of the Harbor Defense Command, Harbor Defenses (HD) of Puget Sound, Washington (sta ...
References
External links
Photographs
Disappearing gun at Fort Worden, circa 1915
University of Washington Libraries - Digital Collections
Websites
Fort Worden Historical State Park
Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
Fort Worden Historical State Park Map
Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
Fort Worden History and Images
Puget Sound Coast Artillery Museum at Fort Worden
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{{Authority control
Worden
Historic American Buildings Survey in Washington (state)
Historic American Engineering Record in Washington (state)
National Register of Historic Places in Port Townsend, Washington
State parks of Washington (state)
Parks in Jefferson County, Washington
Museums in Jefferson County, Washington
Military and war museums in Washington (state)
Port Townsend, Washington
Buildings and structures in Port Townsend, Washington
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state)
1902 establishments in Washington (state)
Protected areas established in 1973
Parks established in the 1970s
1973 establishments in Washington (state)