Fort Billingsport (Paulsboro, Gloucester County, New Jersey)
Paulsboro, Gloucester County · New Jersey · American Revolutionary War
History & Significance
Fort Billingsport was a Continental Army fort in Paulsboro, New Jersey during the American Revolutionary War. The fort was part of a series of defenses created to keep the British from sailing up the Delaware River to reach Philadelphia.
It was built to protect a line of chevaux de frise obstacles placed in the river in 1775. Construction began under Philadelphia architect Robert Smith, who died in February 1777 while working on the fort.
The fort was a square earthwork of 15 acres with four corner bastions, a redoubt on the northwest corner with five cannon, barracks, officers' quarters, and a bakehouse. On October 2, Colonel William Bradford ordered an evacuation of 112 men, who were safely transported by Continental Marines to Fort Mifflin.
The British later built a two-gun redoubt on the site, which they abandoned when evacuating Philadelphia on June 18, 1778. During the War of 1812, the fort was used for militia encampment and then converted to a military training center in 1814. The site is now a public park located between two oil refineries at the Port of Paulsboro.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Revolutionary War earthwork fortification overlooking the Delaware River
- Underground passages and cannon positions preserved on the grounds
- Line of submerged obstacles designed to block British naval advances
- Site of strategic 1777 battle; designed by Polish engineer Tadeusz Kościuszko
- Waterfront park setting in active port area with interpretive displays
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Billingsport
- https://paulsboronj.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/A_Brief_HIstory_of_Fort_Billingsport.pdf
- https://www.revolutionarywarnewjersey.com/new_jersey_revolutionary_war_sites/towns/paulsboro_nj_revolutionary_war_sites.htm
- https://revolutionarynj.org/sites/fort-billingsport-park-2/
- https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/essays/forts-and-fortifications/
- https://allthingsliberty.com/2026/06/the-nations-first-acre-fort-billingsport-and-the-birth-of-federal-land-acquisition/
- https://revolutionarywarjournal.com/battle-for-the-delaware-river-in-the-american-revolution-courageous-determination/