Walk through history on a virtual tour of the original Fort Knox at the Fort Knox Historic Site in Prospect, Maine. One of the best-preserved forts in New England, visitors marvel at the 19th century engineering and architecture; literally tons of granite and brickwork arches and rooms meant to defend the bay from enemy sailing ships. This 3rd system coastal defense fortification was built between 1844 and 1867 at a strategic location called the “Narrows” where the Penobscot River flows to the open ocean.
Although Fort Knox never saw battle and was never fired upon, it stood sentinel and ready arguably serving its purpose perfectly. The original Fort Knox’s final years as an active Federal Fort came with the Spanish American War in 1898-1901 after which it became Fort Knox Historic Site, and the more famous Fort Knox in Kentucky took the name around the time of WWI. This Fort Knox may not be where America’s gold reserves were stored but it is still a national treasure and rich with history!
Fort Knox Maine features:
- Officers and Enlisted Men’s Living Quarters with an adjoining bakery and original ovens overlooking a half-acre parade grounds with underground food storage vaults.
- Two granite spiral staircases carved by Irish Masons lead to the commanding views of the river from the terre-plein.
- Several original cannons (1860-1865) including an original 15-inch Rodman cannon complete with barrel on its carriage and a 2nd barrel each weighing almost 20,000 pounds, a 10-inch Rodman and three 24 pound flank Howitzers inside the brickwork, arched casemates.
- Multiple powder magazines; one recently recreated as it would have been 160 years ago.
- A museum of artifacts recovered from the excavation and maintenance of the Fort including a musket and cannonballs.
-More than 30 interpretive panels describing the history of Fort Knox Maine before, during and since its service life between 1861 and 1901.
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