Cape Elizabeth in Cumberland County, Maine — The American Northeast (New England)
Battery Blair
Photographed by Beverly Pfingsten, July 16, 2009
1. Battery Blair Marker
Battery Blair was completed in 1903. It was named for Francis P. Blair, Jr., a veteran of the Mexican and Civil Wars who rose to the rank of major general and later represented Missouri in the U.S. Senate. The battery consisted of two twelve-inch guns, the largest in use at the time, which were designed to protect Portland Harbor from attacks by battleships and cruisers. The guns were mounted on disappearing carriages that returned them to shelter below the level of the parapet after firing, for both protection from hostile fire and rapidity of loading. Powder and shells were raised on mechanical hoists from magazines on the lower level and moved to the guns on dollies for loading. The guns were aimed with data provided by a sophisticated observation and plotting system and were fired by the National Guard during summer training. The battery was manned during World War I and the early years of World War II.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: War, Mexican-American • War, US Civil • War, World I • War, World II. A significant historical year for this entry is 1903.
Location. 43° 37.351′ N, 70° 12.661′ W. Marker is in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, in Cumberland County. It can be reached from Shore Road. Marker is in Fort Williams Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Cape Elizabeth ME 04107, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Southern Maine Coast. It is also in the American Northeast and in New England. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers.
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Photographed by Beverly Pfingsten, July 16, 2009
2. Battery Blair
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 18, 2011
3. Battery Blair
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 18, 2011
4. Battery Blair Relief on Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on December 30, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 11, 2009, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,548 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 11, 2009, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. 3, 4. submitted on December 10, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
