Fort Armstrong (Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii)
Honolulu, Oahu · Hawaii
History & Significance
In 1906 the Taft Board recommended a system of Coast Artillery batteries to protect Pearl Harbor and Honolulu. Fort Armstrong materialized from this defense initiative, positioned at the entrance to Honolulu Harbor.
It had one named Battery—Battery Tiernon—with two pedestal mounted 3-inch M1903 guns from 1911 to 1943, and was spread over 64 acres. The original garrison was the 1st Coast Artillery Company followed by the 104th Mine Co. operating the harbor mines.
The fort remained under Coast Artillery operations for over a decade and was formally designated a military reservation through executive orders in 1930. Army Corps of Engineers remained at the Fort until 1974, long after the island's transfer to territorial control.
The site later underwent significant physical transformation: a seawall was constructed 500 feet out from the original shoreline in 1948, the area was backfilled, the Army Corps of Engineers took over the post in 1949, and Kakaʻako Park was created over the landfill area. Today the former fort location comprises modern harbor facilities and recreational areas, with no original military structures remaining visible.
Key Facts
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Armstrong_(Hawaii)
- https://imagesofoldhawaii.com/fort-armstrong/
- https://imagesofoldhawaii.com/camp-very/
- https://dod.hawaii.gov/blog/hing-history/fort-ruger-and-the-hawaii-national-guard/
- https://historichawaii.org/historic-property-oa/artillery-district-of-honolulu/
- https://retireenews.org/2020/01/09/check-six-fort-armstrong-113-years-ago/