Fort Barton (Tiverton, Rhode Island)
Tiverton · Rhode Island · American Revolutionary War
History & Significance
After the British occupied Newport and Aquidneck Island in 1776, Tiverton became an asylum for American sympathizers and a mustering point for Colonial forces, with construction of the fortification a joint effort by the governments of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. On June 11, 1777, British officer Frederick Mackenzie described the work in his journal, noting the extensive labor required; on June 28, 1777, the Americans erected a flagstaff at the fort and raised their colors.
The fort was named after Lt. Col. William Barton, who captured British General Richard Prescott during a midnight raid at Prescott Farm. During the early years of the American Revolution, the fort occupied a strategic highpoint overlooking a bottleneck of navigable water between the Sakonnet River and Mount Hope Bay, the shortest distance between Aquidneck Island and the mainland.
During 1777 and 1778, thousands of Colonial troops—including Paul Revere and John Hancock—were assembled in Tiverton, and during the summer of 1778, 11,000 Continental troops and militia ferried across the narrows in one of the greatest massings of American soldiers during the war. With French naval support crippled by a storm, American troops fought their way back to Tiverton under the protection of the guns at Fort Barton, after which most of the soldiers departed the area, leaving only a handful of men at the fort. In 1923, Dr. Roderick Terry donated the site to the Newport Historical Society.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Revolutionary War earthwork fortification with 150-by-100-foot defensive works
- Named for Lieutenant Colonel William Barton's famous 1778 raid capturing British General Prescott
- Strategic position overlooking ferry crossing between Tiverton and Aquidneck Island
- Launch point for American forces in the August 1778 Battle of Rhode Island
- Public park setting preserving original earthwork remains
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Barton_Site
- https://www.battlefields.org/visit/heritage-sites/fort-barton
- https://rhodetour.org/items/show/52
- https://journeywithmurphy.com/2020/05/fort-barton-tiverton-ri/
- https://portsmouthhistorynotes.com/2021/09/21/fort-barton-and-butts-hill-fort-landmarks-of-the-battle-of-rhode-island/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Rhode_Island
- https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/RI-01-TI3
- https://exploreri.org/gSiteReport2.php?siteID=50
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=48225
Other Forts in Rhode Island
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