Fort Edgecomb State Historic Site

Fort Edgecomb State Historic Site. . , Fort Edgecomb stands today, as it has always, on just over three acres at the entrance to Wiscasset harbor., Fort Edgecomb had 20 to 35 troops stationed here until 1816. These Federal troops had left by the time of the Civil War when, for a brief period, the fort was armed by local volunteers during threats along the Maine coast by a Confederate raider., The United States was not engaged in military conflict when Fort Edgecomb was built in 1808. Still, tensions were great between the United States and England. During its conflicts with France, England had ensured that France and the rest of continental Europe were closed to shipping, causing hardships for American merchants. England also frequently searched American vessels. In 1807, while tracking deserters, an English ship attacked the American frigate Chesapeake off the coast of Virginia, and tensions reached new heights., An alarmed President Thomas Jefferson consulted with Congress to consider the American response to the attack on the Chesapeake. Rather than declare war, they developed a plan to enhance the nation's defenses and authorized over one million dollars to improve or build coastal forts. For the District of Maine (then part of Massachusetts), this action provided funding for nine fortifications, including Fort Edgecomb. , The trees had just been cleared from the property when Secretary of War Henry Dearborn arrived in August, 1808, to help Major Moses Porter lay out Fort Edgecomb., The battery on the water's edge, designed to protect the fort's cannons, was built first. Porter hired local residents to haul stone, water, lime, bricks, and sod for the battery's massive wall and curved earthworks, which contained a powder magazine and wooden platforms for cannons. , Hot shot furnaces, which heated cannonballs to set fire to enemy ships, were also built at this time, along with the palisade. In late February, 1809, the battery was ready for its six cannons., Porter also directed the building of the blockhouse and the structure shown on this drawing as "quarters which was actually a brick kitchen. Later, troops stationed here built the storehouse (1811) and at least one barracks building (1812)., A Glimpse at the Past... Archaeology at Fort Edgecomb , Until archaeologists uncovered portions of the fort's buildings, little was known about these structures. At left is the foundation of the building nearest the blockhouse, called at different times the "quarters or brick kitchen. The massive dressed granite foundation stones show that this structure was substantial and, like the blockhouse, well built. Photo by Nicholas Dean, By contrast, Fort Edgecomb's barracks, built by troops later and without the guidance of officers like Moses Porter, were constructed poorly. Here, archaeologists found only cobblestone foundations, with sills on grade. In the photo at right, the archaeologist is making a string grid in order to map the foundation of one barracks building. Courtesy of Maine Historic Preservation Commission, Archaeologists also found many artifacts, especially buttons. Some were worn on uniforms of the fort's 4th Regiment of Infantry. Top left: pewter infantry buttons, issued in 1812 and featuring a script "I"; Top right: bone shirt buttons, Center left: pewter button issued in 1811, with an eagle and inscription INFANTRY; Bottom left: pewter infantry button, made in 1798 for the 7th infantry; the 7th infantry was never raised, and the buttons were later issued as surplus; Bottom right: pewter general service" buttons, issued from 1808- 1815. Photo by Jahn B. Poisson