Fort Constitution

Coastal Fort in New Castle, used from 1790-1948. Currently an active Coast Guard Base

Early History

Fort Constitution was first established in the 1631 as Fort William and Mary. It was an earthwork with four guns. Over the rest of the 1600s many renovations were made but the oldest remaining parts of the fort were added in 1705-09 which were some stone walls which are now encompassed by the 1808 fort. The new 1808 fort was part of the Second System, of which there are not many that remain. Two barracks and two magazines were built along with a bastion and higher walls. Over 35 guns could be mounted on this new construction. During the war of 1812 a Martello tower was constructed upon Jordans Rock near where Battery Farnsworth would be built. The tower was named for John de Barth Walbach in 1814. Four guns were emplaced on this structure which was hastily built (Which may explain its deterioration). Many upgrades were made to the fort up to the Civil War.

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  Gun Positions
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  1974 Reconstructed Entrance
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  Water Well Access Tunnel
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  Gap Between Walls
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  1709 Wall Ruins
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  Remaining 1808 Magazine
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  Walbach Tower ruins
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  Sentry Room
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  1974 Gate Mechanism
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  Main Gate

Civil War

In 1862 construction began on a massive granite Third-System fort that would be built where the 1808 work was. One tier of the planned four tier fort was partially completed. In 1867 all work ceased. Weapons were in fact mounted on this incomplete work which can be seen in some old photographs.

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  Seaward View
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  View from atop the lighthouse
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  Remaining casements
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  Casement
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  1938 Stone wall made with leftover granite
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  Incomplete Casement
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  Parade Ground
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  Incomplete casements

Endicott Era

A mine casement would be built in 1898 during the Spanish American War to control mines placed in the harbor. It was built near emplacement #2 of the battery. In 1904 a Command Station for Battery Farnsworth would be built near Walbach Tower. In 1921 this tower would be converted to the Mine Station. In 1901, a Torpedo Storehouse was built next to the 1808 fort. In 1907 a loading building was built for the mine shells.

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  Quartermasters Storehouse
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  Torpedo Storage
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  Old mine casement
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  Pump remains
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Battery Farnsworth

Battery Farnsworth was constructed in 1897 and used during the Spanish American War, the battery was not complete until 1899. This battery had two 8-inch Disappearing Rifles. No electricity was added, and the shell hoists were hand operated. Because this was such an early battery it was made with Rosendale cement which does not work well with water. The structure had a dampness issue from the beginning, and by 1917 the battery was unusable. The battery would serve out its life as storage for mine cabling. In 1921 a centralized power station was built at the traverse of the battery. In 1938 plans were put in place to add a searchlight emplacement but no advances were made on this idea.

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  Emplacement #1
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  Mine OP
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  Central Traverse
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  Exposed area in traverse
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  Emp #1 Steps
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  1921 Plan

Battery Hackleman

Battery Hackleman was constructed in 1904 with two 3-inch Pedestal guns. This structure is essentially identical to the ones at Fort Foster and Fort Stark minus the 1920 CRF station. In 1920 an open aired CRF Station was built on the old bastion near the battery. This would later be replaced in 1942 with a fully enclosed station. The guns from the battery would be removed and sent to Fishers Island in New York. They would be replaced by Battery Lytle's guns from Fort Stark. During WWII this battery would be designated Battery #4 on defense charts.

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  Hackleman plan
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  1943 CRF
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  CRF From Bastion

World War One

In 1917 the guns of Battery Farnsworth were dismounted and sent to Massachusetts. The carriages were removed the following year. In 1920 some improvements were made to the fort. This included a Mine Casement covered with earth under Walbach Tower. But in 1922 the fort was placed on caretaker status until the eve of WWII. In 1945 the battery was deactivated, and the guns were scrapped. The fort would be designated as location 147 during all of WWII.

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  Mine Casement Plan
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  Fort Map 1921

World War Two

In 1940 the fort was reactivated awaiting new improvements. In 1938 a seawall was built by the Corps of Engineers to protect the shoreline. In 1942 the Mine Casement was gas-proofed, which involved essentially sealing up the front of the casement and adding a small doorway. A brand new Mine Observation station was also added atop Battery Farnsworth's #2 emplacement.

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  Mine Casement
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  Mine tower
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  Original paint
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  access ladder
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  communications equipment
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  Observation windows
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  DPF
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  Azimuth mount
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  Handrail
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  lower level
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  communications
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  Light
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  1938 Plan

Present

The fort was deactivated in 1948 and used by the National Guard in the 50s for training. The fort became the Portsmouth Harbor lifeboat station immediately after the fort's abonnement. In 1960 part of the property was designated a State Historic Site but remained unopen until 1973. In 1965 the Portsmouth Harbor Coast Guard Station was established. The Coast Guard would demolish Battery Hackleman and build a new structure in its place. Parts of the fort are owned by UNH who use some of the old buildings for research. Battery Farnsworth, Walbach Tower and the Mine Casement are currently owned by UNH and keep them closed for public safety. In 2007 the Ordnance Storehouse was razed and in 2009 the Mine Loading Building was razed. In 2020 the militia storehouse was razed, leaving only the Torpedo Storehouse as a sole survivor of the post buildings. During my visit of the fort, the Second System works were closed and there was no access to the Battery Farnsworth area due to the extreme deterioration.

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  1945 Postcard
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  Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse
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  Coast Guard Station